LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.? 



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THE 



SPIRIT WORLD; 



Cante Smtrrit. 



BY JOEL H. ROSS, M. D., 

Author of" Hints and Helps to Health and Happiness." 

— " What I Saw in New-York." — " Wrong 

Side of the Line," 3*c, $c. 



M. W. DODD, 
BRICK CHURCH CHAPEL. 

1852. 







y&? 



Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1852, 

By JOEL H. ROSS, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Southern 
District of New-York. 



J. P. Pball, Printer^ 

9 Spruce-street. 



X 



PREFACE. 

As the trackless path of every mor- 
tal who is on his way to the land of 
immortality, is filled with fearful 
snares, visible and invisible, fraught 
with temporal and eternal ruin, the 
author has endeavored in a familiar 
manner to warn his fellow-traveler to 
beware of wily and seducing tempters 
and temptations which beset him at ev- 
ery step, from the cradle to the grave. 
The writer desires and aims in this 
work, which is largely founded upon 
fact, to stimulate all to journey, care- 
fully, watchfully and prayerfully, 
* through this dark valley to the spirit- 
world. 

He, moreover, indulges the hope, 
that through the instrumentality of 
this humble volume, grace divine may 



IV FREFACE. 

lead some precious immortal to pon- 
der upon his prospects — scrutinize the 
foundation of his hopes — count the 
cost, and estimate the danger and the 
guilt of living a single day in peril, 
while an opportunity remains to lay 
hold on eternal life. 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 



CHAPTER I. 



B. At our last interview, friend S., 
I suspected that your views were some- 
what skeptical in relation to the re- 
vealed realities of the Spirit-World. 
Hence, soon after leaving you, I re- 
solved that, on the first suitable occa- 
sion, J would call your attention to the 
momentous subject, and, if possible, 
induce you to look at your prospects, 
examine your hopes, test your founda- 
tion, abandon your skepticism, and lay 
hold on eternal life. Such a season 



6 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

seems now to be opportunely present- 
ed, and as the day of final reckoning 
is rapidly hastening, and may overtake 
and overwhelm us before we meet 
again, if we do not improve the pre- 
sent moment ; let me entreat you to 
earnestly and honestly ponder upon the 
soul's existence and destiny in the spi- 
rit-world. 

S. What do you know about the 
invisible state and habitation of de- 
parted spirits more than I, Mr. Bl 
Have you seen any of the inhabitants 
of that land from whence no traveler 
returns ? Or have you by any means 
received any special revelation which 
you wish to communicate ? 

B. No, friend, it is not because I 
have a new revelation to which I would 
invite your attention, that I address 
j r ou; but because an old revelation 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 7 

fills me with a strong desire to call 
you aside from the busy throng and 
thoughtless multitude, that we may 
commune together in a familiar man- 
ner upon those topics which eminently 
demand our serious consideration, with- 
out delay. Are you ready and willing 
to spend an hour with me in contem- 
plating the relation that man sustains 
to the spirit- world and that world to 
him — his prospects and his destiny ? 

& Well, I do not see what you can 
have to communicate, that I do not 
know already: and hence, I might 
naturally ask, what good will it do me 
to turn my thoughts in such a direc- 
tion ? But, presuming that it can do 
me no harm, it appears very proper 
that I should listen ; for it is written, 
"If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise 
for thyself ; but if thou scornest, thou 



O THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

alone shalt bear it." Possibly you may 
suggest something . worthy of notice, 
should it be destitute of novelty ; and 
if so, I hope to have an ear to hear. 
It is certainly true that we are all has- 
tening to that world of which you 
speak. But whether we can do any- 
thing here to affect our destiny there, 
is another question. 

JB. O, yes, we can do much; nay, 
everything here to make our residence 
there an abode of delight, incon- 
ceivably glorious. But there, we can 
do nothing to make one hair white or 
black. As the tree falls, so it lies. 
" Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall 
he also reap." The husbandman can- 
not make amends in harvest for his 
neglect in seedtime. Neither can he 
expect to gather wheat when he has 
sown only tares. 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 9 

8. This is very true, as far as this 
world is concerned. Whether it has 
anything to do with our existence in a 
spiritual state, I know not. 

B. If it has not, why did infinite wis 
dom select such figures, and hold up to 
mortals such illustrations as every- 
where abound in revelation ? We are 
left to " sow to the flesh and reap cor- 
ruption, or sow to the spirit and reap 
life everlasting," according to our own 
choice. Hence, if we are free at all, 
we settle our own destiny for eternity 
by the exercise of our own free-will. 

S. I can hardly believe this doctrine. 

JS. It is the doctrine of the Bible, 
whether you believe it or not. 

S. What! poor frail mortals, crea- 
tures of this dark world, helpless as 
infants, and almost as ignorant, left to 
work out for themselves utter destruc- 



10 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

tion, that they may forever remain in 
hopeless wretchedness in the spirit- 
land ? 0, no, I can't believe that. 

B. Why not ! 

S. Why not? It is enough to make 
a man perfectly wretched to think of it. 

B. Undoubtedly it is ; and it ought 
to make every one wise enough to se- 
cure his own safety, when the way is 
pointed out, and while he can do so if 
he will. It would make you uncom- 
fortable to be told, at an unexpected 
hour, that you must abandon your 
habitation to the flames, or perish with 
it. So, if you were starting out to sea 
on a long voyage, full of hope and joy- 
ful anticipations, to be told by the cap- 
tain, soon after leaving port, that you 
must forsake the ship and row for the 
shore, or sink to the bottom of the 
ocean, would be very unacceptable 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 11 

news. But would you have the pain- 
ful truth withheld ? 

S % O, no ! In such a case I should 
want to know the worst of it ; because 
to remain in ignorance of the facts, 
would be one of the worst things that 
could happen to me. 

B. Well, then, never think of disbe- 
lieving the testimony of inspiration 
because it makes you feel uncomfort- 
able. Or, in other words, do not deny 
what you know to be true ; for if you 
did not believe it, you would not be 
disturbed by hearing it. The fact that 
you are thus disturbed, proves conclu- 
sively that you are in a sinking ship. 
But the " Ark of Safety" is still in port, 
and there is room within for you. It 
is bound for the most blissful haven in 
the spirit- world, and will safely and 
surely conduct you thither, if you will 



12 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

accept a passage " without money and 
without price." This is your last and 
only chance. Will you enrol your 
name on the list of passengers ? 

S. It seems very proper that I should 
do so, but still there may be terms of 
admission w T ith which I may not be 
able to comply, although you say the 
offer is without money and without 
price. 

B. There may be terms that you will 
not, but none that you cannot comply 
with at once. Terms there are, but 
they are reasonable. Terms there are, 
but they are unalterable. 

S. What are they ? 

B. Just the very best that could be 
offered. Terms so easy and simple, 
that I fear they will be despised or 
neglected. Only forsake thy sins, and 
cast thyself unreservedly upon the for- 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 13 

giving mercy of God in Christ Jesus 
our Lord, and thou shalt find peace 
eternal beyond the river of death. 

S. But suppose I do not comply at 
once, but endeavor to bring my mind 
in due time to bear upon the point, that 
I may be able at length to make an 
intelligent decision. 

B. How would you like to be saved 
in this gradual way from the flames ? 
I think such deliberation in a man pro- 
fessing to be your friend, would be re- 
ceived with strong suspicion. Suppose 
that you meet a man who is in great 
distress, whose instant relief you know, 
and he knows, to be within the power 
of your agency to effect ; and you offer 
assistance, and he says, " / will think of 
it until to-morrow" What would you 
think of him ? 

S. I should think that he was either 



14 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

insane, or determined to suffer rather 
than to accept of my services. 

_B. What else will your gracious 
Redeemer think of you, if you treat his 
offers with such indifference ? What 
is it but saying, I had rather remain 
in my sins, and risk all the consequen- 
ces, than to accept at once of such of- 
fered grace ? But remember that there 
is no promise or encouragement for 
those who delay. To-day is the ac- 
cepted time. To-morrow the Ark of 
Safety may be out of your reach. 
Terms so easy cannot be rejected with 
impunity. Wait one day, nay, one 
moment too long, and a great ransom 
cannot save you. 

S. It may be so, but I hope for bet- 
ter things. 

J5. What ! hope for prosperity in 
rebellion, and for salvation in sin ? 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 15 

Such a hope may be to you like giving 
up the ghost. 

S. Well, I feel half inclined to beg 
to be excused from any further conver- 
sation on this subject, as I find that I 
am not likely to enjoy it. And yet 1 
am hardly prepared to do so; for, 
somehow or other, I have an impres- 
sion, that I ought to listen to what you 
have to say on this solemn subject, lest 
I should meet you hereafter in the 
spirit-world self-condemned and self- 
ruined. How bitter the thought, how 
keen the pang, how sad would be my 
condition, if I should there find that I 
had lost all the blessedness of that 
world, by turning away my thoughts 
from the subject to which my attention 
is now so unexpectedly directed. But 
then, I do not believe in any such thing 
after all. 



16 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

B. Yes, we shall there meet, and you 
do well to lay these things to heart. 
In the unknown regions of a bound- 
less, endless world, where everything, 
both good and bad, has the stamp of 
immortality — where "he that is holy 
shall be holy still, and he that is filthy 
shall be filthy still," shall meet a com- 
pany that no man or angel can num- 
ber, and with emotions that no tongue 
can describe. There, some shall shout, 
Hallelujah ! we are saved. Others 
shall cry, Alas ! " the great day of his 
wrath has come and who shall be able 
to stand P There you will call to mind 
this interview, and, perhaps, say with 
an enraptured tongue, O how fortunate 
that I ever met you in yonder dark 
valley, and that you then pointed me to 
this peaceful world ; and how ri-ch the 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 17 

grace that caused me to improve the 
passing moment 

Moreover, you may possibly meet 
me under very different circumstances, 
and say, Oh ! that I had known what 
a step I was taking when I turned 
away from the path which you pointed 
out. Oh ! that I had profited by that 
friendly message which I shut out of 
my thoughts as soon as I could, lest it 
should disturb my peace. My peace ! 
What a delusion! I never had any 
peace ! What a thought that I never 
shall have any forever and forever- 
more ! Yes, immortal, we shall meet 
in the spirit-world ; but under what 
circumstances we little know. Let us 
therefore be wise. 

But this is not all. We shall meet 
there soon ; let us therefore make haste 
to prepare for the journey- A few 



18 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

more trials, — a little more pain — here 
and there a tear, — another fleeting 
moment, throbbing pulse, gasping 
breath and opening grave, and we are 
there — there forever ! There in weal 
or woe. Take not another step until 
you take the right one. 

S. And what is the right one ? 

jB. Certainly not to cavil, not to de- 
lay, not to do violence to conscience, 
and not to grieve away the Holy Spirit. 
I have seen men, who, while they were 
under conviction and felt their need of 
aid from above, and who knew per- 
fectly w r ell that they were in an unre- 
newed state, and exposed to that death 
which never dies, still find fault with 
the truth, trifle with the means of 
grace, sin against light and knowledge, 
quench the Spirit, cast off fear, and 
restrain prayer, until it became fear- 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 19 

fully evident that they were forsaken 
and left to serve a hard master and 
receive bitter wages. Take not such 
a step as this, precious immortal, lest 
it plunge you into keen despair. 

S. Perhaps I do not understand ex- 
actly what you mean by finding fault 
with the truth. We do not all look 
alike, nor see alike, nor understand 
alike, and possibly we shall not ex- 
actly agree in these matters. 

B. In essentials, I hope that we shall 
not disagree. Do you not take the 
Bible for your rule of faith and prac- 
tice ? 

S. O, yes, but you know that the 
Bible is explained in many different 
ways. 

B. Well, we had better let the Bible 
explain itself, and we shall find noth- 
ing to lead us astray. I suppose you 



20 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

believe that the Bible is a voice from 
heaven ? 

8. Yes. 

B. That it speaks to men ? 

S. Yes. 

B. That they are bound to give 
heed? 

8. Yes. 

JB. That none can refuse or neglect 
to do so with impunity, — that holiness 
and happiness, sin and suffering are 
inseparable ? 

S. Well, for every crime that a man 
commits, I believe that he suffers. 

B. Suffers where and when ? What 
is the nature and what the extent of 
that suffering? Do you believe that 
sin unrepented of kills beyond the 
tomb? 

S. It may be so. Indeed, I once 
believed it. But my views have chan- 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 21 

ged. I suppose you will say that I am 
now beginning to cavil. 

B. Well, if you have changed your 
views or your belief in regard to spirit- 
ual things, one of two things must be 
true. You were either wrong before 
the change or you are wrong now. 
And if you are right now, then I am 
wrong ; and, as we are bound for the 
spirit- world, to have our destiny fixed 
forever, and as it is highly important 
that we should embrace no error here, 
which can painfully affect us there, 
let us candidly examine the discrepan- 
cy of our belief. If we are wrong, 
we ought to know it. Let us, there- 
fore, shrink not from a careful exami- 
nation of that subject which must 
soon and forever occupy our thoughts. 
Now, if you believe the Bible, you 



22 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

must believe that future misery is no 
less revealed than future happiness. 

S. True, I believe in punishment, 
and I suppose that every man when he 
does wrong has a hell in his own bo- 
som. 

B. Well, admitting this to be the only 
source of misery, and suppose the man 
carries this sting with him through- 
out the countless ages of eternity ; 
how, I ask, with this eternal conscious- 
ness of guilt, is the man to be happy. 

S. I do not believe any such thing. 
What ! is man to carry this viper in 
his bosom forever. Reason forbids such 
a conclusion. 

B. Although we ought to let the 
law and the testimony settle this im- 
portant question, yet as you appeal to 
reason, let us for a moment listen to 
her voice. And what is her testimony ? 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 23 

.S. Why, she says, most assuredly, 
that a God all-wise, all-powerful and 
all-good, will never suffer such a dis- 
aster to befal his creatures. 

B. No, sir, you will find that she 
says no such thing. She says, as God 
has already suffered every soul of 
Adam's race to become tainted with 
sin here, it is probable that it will affect 
all hereafter. Reason without reve- 
lation knows of no delivery from sin. 
She says, as you have never found the 
spot where guilt and suffering did not 
follow you, so neither height nor 
depth, length nor breadth, life nor 
death, things present nor things to 
come, shall ever be able to separate 
you from the consequences of a de- 
praved heart. Asa lion never becomes 
a lamb by being brought from Africa 
to America, so neither will a sinful 



24 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

man ever lose his individual character, 
or become an angel, by simply being 
changed from time to eternity. This 
says reason and common sense. 

Now, suppose a deadly viper should 
strike its poisonous fangs deep into 
your flesh, and you should start in the 
twinkling of an eye, and fly with the 
rapidity of lightning to some distant 
region where no reptiles are known ; 
would that save you ? 

S. O, no ! I should carry the poison 
with me in my own body, and should 
consequently be in as great peril there 
as here. 

B. Ah ! yes, your reason is now very 
orthodox. You are quite right, and 
were you at the moon or among the 
stars you would be no better oft', than 
on the earth. But, in addition to this, 
suppose that you should leave behind 



THE SPIRIT WORLD. 25 

a perfect antidote, and go to a region 
destitute of every remedial agent, how 
would the case then stand ? 

S. Instead of the change being be- 
neficial, it would prove hopelessly 
fatal. 

B. Then, precious immortal let me 
urge you to beware how you leave this 
world with the poison of sin in your 
soul, hoping to find a remedy in the 
world to come. There is no remedy 
there. But the old serpent, the devil, 
who bit you here, is there. The worm 
that never dies, and the fire that shall 
never be quenched, are there ! No 
cleansing stream, no healing balm, no 
blessed hope, no Saviour's blood is 
there. Here you have been wounded, 
and here you must be healed or never. 
The remedy is here and only here. 

For such a deadly poison as sin, 



26 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

there is no antidote but the fountain 
which gushed forth on Calvary. And 
if you go away to the retributions of 
eternity, without feeling something of 
the healing efficacy of a Saviour's blood 
in your own soul, you will assuredly 
carry the poison with you, which will 
be a living fire within you, to consume 
the last ray of hope, while in the spi- 
rit-world you will wish in vain for 
another change. 

S. But is it not written that we shall 
all be changed in a moment, in the 
twinkling of an eye ? 

B. Yes, it is thus written, and it 
shall surely come to pass. This cor- 
ruptible shall put on incorruption, and 
this mortal shall put on immortality ! 
This change is inevitable. But it is 
nowhere written, that, when the last 
trump shall sound, the wicked shall be 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 27 

transformed into the image of the 
righteous. But it is written, " He that 
is unjust, let him be unjust still, and he 
that is filthy, let him be filthy still." 
Then the righteous shall be changed 
from earth to heaven, and the wicked 
from earth to hell, and that change 
will be final. 

But here, a great and glorious change 
can be secured. What a thought for 
mortals! that although we carry the 
sting of sin in our own bosoms wherever 
we go in this vale of tears, whether at 
home or abroad, by land or sea, on the 
top of the highest mountain or in the 
bottom of the deepest valley, yet we 
can be changed and made so pure that 
not a spot shall be left to tell that we 
have ever been stained. Who would 
ever think of such a change, without 
the revelation of the gospel? Who 



28 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

can comprehend it ? Certainly not the 
angels in heaven. This is a glorious 
mystery. 

But this is a moral change, with 
which a change of place has very little 
to do. We must remember that death 
is no sanctifier: that it changes our 
position, but not our character, to make 
us either better or worse. 

S. Well, I admit that this is a mys- 
terious subject, and one which I sup- 
pose we shall all understand better 
hereafter. Perhaps, however, we shall 
be little the wiser or better for discuss- 
ing it here, although I must say that I 
have been somewhat interested during 
this unexpected interview, yet you 
perceive that it has become necessary 
for us to adjourn. 



CHAPTER II. 



B. Well, friend, I am glad that it is 
our good fortune to meet again. We 
are now a little nearer to the spirit- 
world than when we separated, and of 
course ought to feel a deeper interest 
in spiritual things. I hope you have 
come to the conclusion to give up your 
skepticism, and embrace the truth in 
simplicity, that you may enjoy the 
companionship of a clear conscience 
and the blessedness of an inspiring 
hope. 

S. Well, sir, as I remarked at our 
first interview, I do indeed profess to 
take the Bible for my guide ; but I am 



30 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

perhaps farther than ever from adopt- 
ing your views in relation to future 
punishment. 

J5. I hope, you take the Bible view 
rather than mine, or any man's. 

S. I do, sir, and that book informs 
me that, "as a father pitieth his child- 
ren, so the Lord pitieth them that fear 
him ;" and can he thus pity them and 
yet permit them to perish. 

J5. O, no, not those that fear him. 
He even pities those who do not fear 
him, while he spurns them from his 
presence, as they desire not the know- 
ledge of his ways, and will not bow in 
submission to his will. Still he pities 
them, and says, "Oh ! that thou hadst 
known, even thou, at least in this thy 
day, the things that belong to thy 
peace, but now they are hid from thine 
eyes." 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 31 

A kind and tender father may con- 
sent, and even desire, all things consid- 
ered, that a guilty, irreclaimable son 
should remain in prison for life, rather 
than to have the existence of others 
put in jeopardy by his running at large. 
And more than this he may do. He 
may consent to have him even atone 
for his crimes with his own blood. 
Nay, more. He may pass sentence of 
death upon his own son himself. It 
has been done. 

S. But no man who is fit to be a 
father would suffer his child to commit 
a crime which would make him ob- 
noxious to the penalty of a violated 
law, if he could prevent it. 

B. Yes, he would, and does, and you 
very likely do the same thing. 

S. What! 

B. To try his fidelity, you may give 



32 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

your son access to money which is not 
his, and an opportunity to appropriate 
it unlawfully to his own purposes, 
when you might prevent it by locking 
it up. You will of course do all you 
can to prevent any dishonest act, as 
far as good example and good coun- 
sel are concerned. But still you will 
and must leave him free to choose for 
himself. 

So the great Father of all saw fit to 
leave man free to act according to his 
own choice, giving him at the same time 
laws by which to regulate his actions, 
clearly pointing out the penalty of a 
violation. That penalty is hopeless 
despair, so that those who break the 
law r , expose themselves to the wrath 
and curse of the law-giver. The law 
has nothing to do with pity or pardon* 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 33 

Its appropriate function is to mete out 
to all, merited weal or woe. 

S. Then of course all the human 
race are lost forever, for "no man liveth 
and sinneth not ;" and who can there- 
fore be judged by so strict a rule, and 
not experience the overwhelming con- 
sequences of disobedience ? 

B. Nothing else can be expected, so 
far as the law is concerned. But we 
have a more glorious salvation than 
any which can come by the law. Be- 
sides the announcement in the law, 
that " the soul that sinneth it shall die" 
it is revealed in the gospel that the 
soul that repenteth it shall live ! But 
this glorious declaration which brings 
life and immortality to light, is not the 
voice of reason, neither is it the voice 
of law. 

When there was no other eye to pity 



34 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

nor arm to save — when the dark and 
doleful picture of a helpless and ruined 
race was presented before the eye of 
heaven, there came forth one with 
blood-stained garments, and exposed 
his bosom to the glittering sword of 
justice, and said, let the iniquities of 
earth's immortals be laid upon me, 
Let me drink for them the cup of wrath, 
and taste for them the wormwood and 
the gall, and feel for them the pangs of 
death. Hence the remarkable procla- 
mation of his forerunner, " Behold the 
Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin 
of the world.'' 

& Ah, yes ! this is truly good news, 
and I am willing to admit that it is 
a more glorious doctrine than reason 
ever revealed, and by it I am willing 
to abide. Indeed I know not what else 
I can desire or need to secure my fu- 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 35 

ture safety. If the Saviour of the world 
" tasted death for every man," and bare 
the sins of the world in his own body on 
the tree, and has offered, and will, to the 
end of time, offer to all the needy, eter- 
nal life " without money and without 
price," I know not how such a display 
of the compassion of an Almighty de- 
liverer can be reconciled with the 
eternal loss of a single soul. 

JB. The Saviour has done all this, 
blessed be his glorious name — let hea- 
ven and earth be glad. He has done 
more. He has sent his Spirit into the 
world to urge men to do, in return, 
their part ; for there is no doctrine 
more clearly taught in the gospel than 
that man's redemption is a conditional 
salvation. All the offers made in the 
gospel to perishing men attended with 
a promise, are made to such as comply 



36 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

with its requirements, and to none else. 
The gospel no more offers salvation to 
a single soul who will not comply with » 
the terms given, than the law offers 
eternal life to those who break it. 

8. Conditional salvation ! What an 
absurdity ! 

B. Perhaps you would prefer to be- 
lieve that there are no terms at all. 
That it makes no difference what you 
do. That it will all amount to the 
same thing at last, whether you pray 
or steal, serve God or the devil. Many 
w r ould gladly believe this doctrine, if 
conscience would let them. 

S. 3 no, sir, you greatly mistake my 
belief. I am well aware that the gos- 
pel enjoins repentance for sin, and faith 
in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

B. But do you acknowledge these 
acts to be indispensable to salvation ? 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 37 

S. I see what you are aiming at. 
You need not expect by your cross- 
questions to make me recal my own 
words. But — but — who that does 
wrong, does not repent. And who that 
lives in a gospel land, does not believe 
in Christ ? 

B. Many go on in sin, waxing worse 
and worse, who, regret far more that 
their opportunities for committing 
crime are so limited, than that their 
guilt is so augmented. So that it may 
perhaps be said that they repent that 
they cannot do worse. As to their 
faith, they have less than Satan, for 
the Bible declares that devils not only 
believe, but tremble. What said the 
Saviour on a certain occasion to those 
who stood around him, heard his words, 
and saw his works ? " Ye also have 
seen me and believe not." " Ye have 



38 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

both seen and hated both me and my 
Father." Thinkest thou that these in- 
dividuals exercised that faith in the 
Lord of glory which he requires ? Or 
that they cultivated that penitent spirit 
which is acceptable in his sight ? If 
they did, don't you think that he had a 
strange way of showing his approba- 
tion ? 

S. I know not how it might have 
been with those individuals, though, to 
be honest, I must confess that I should 
consider their faith and repentance of 
a doubtful character, to say the least. 
But, I suppose, that no man can exer- 
cise faith without help from above, for 
we read that faith is the gift of God. 

B. True it is, and would you there- 
fore hate both Christ and his Father, 
in order to obtain it ? Faith is the 
gift of God and so is the air we 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 39 

breathe, and he is as able and as will- 
ing to give the former as the latter. 
Will you cease to expand your lungs 
because you can receive the life-giving 
atmosphere only as a gift from your 
Creator. And if you refuse to use the 
proper means for your own preserva- 
tion because you are dependent upon 
him for existence, will he breathe into 
your dead body the breath of life ? 
We must remember that while faith is 
truly the gift of God, we have just as 
much power to accept the gift as to 
refuse it. But suppose it were notfthe 
gift of God, but that we had to pur- 
chase it, would that make our prospects 
any better ? Would he compel us to 
buy it, if we had wherewith to pay the 
price, or would he leave us as now, 
free to accept or reject ? 

S. But the Saviour says, st no man 



40 THE SriRIT-WORLD. 

can come unto me except the father 
which hath sent me, draw him," and 
if he draws one, will he not draw all ? 
_B. What do you understand by 
drawing ? That he will move men 
towards the kingdom by physical force ? 
S. Of course not, but by moral power, 
B. This he does, but, alas ! how few 
follow him. How often does he in 
mercy stretch out his hand all the day 
long to the rebellious. How often 
does he by his providence, by his word 
and by his Spirit arrest the attention 
of the poor wanderer, and draw away 
his thoughts to serious things, and in 
melting tenderness invite him to turn 
and live, while his invitations of mer- 
cy fall upon his callous heart like a 
summer shower upon a barren rock. 
How often has he thus drawn you, 
while you would not follow. And what 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 41 

has he said about it ? " Because I have 
called and ye refused ; I have stretched 
out my hand and no man regarded, but 
ye have set at nought all my counsel, 
and would none of my reproof ; I also 
will laugh at your calamity; I will 
mock when your fear cometh: when 
your fear cometh as desolation, and 
your destruction cometh as a whirl- 
wind ; when distress and anguish 
cometh upon you. Then shall they call 
upon me, but I will not answer ; they 
shall seek me early, but they shall not 
find me." Do not deceive yourself 
" Many are called, but few are chosen." 
Have you never seen the time when 
you had a stronger desire to have some 
experimental knowledge of spiritual 
things than you have at present. Was 
there not a time when you had serious 
fears that all was not right ? 



42 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

S. It is true that I have sometimes 
had much more feeling on the subject 
than now. But what of it ? 

B. Then were you drawn toward 
Him " who is the way, the truth, and 
the life." Why did you not follow on ? 
Whose fault was it? And whose respon- 
sibility is involved in it ? Are you wait- 
ing to be drawn ? If you wait a little 
longer, you may be drawn in the wrong 
direction. Are you waiting to be call- 
ed ? As sure as you are a living man, 
I fear you will soon hear a call too 
loud, and too late ! Hark ! I now hear 
a voice, solemn as eternity ! What 
meaneth it ? " Ye shall seek me, and 
shall die in your sins ; whither I go 
ye cannot come P 

S. Well, I was once foolish enough 
to let this very passage so affect me 
that I was more than half inclined 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 43 

to beg for mercy. But I was soon 
ashamed of my weakness, and shook off 
those foolish forebodings by coming to 
a different conclusion respecting the 
meaning of this and all similar texts. 

B. I thought so. 1 was inclined to 
think, during our first interview that 
you had been the subject of the Spirit's 
convicting influence, and that you had 
resisted his overtures, and provoked 
him to depart from you. 

S. I know not why you should have 
come to any such conclusion, for I never 
said a word to any other person on the 
subject concerning it. 

jB. It was not because I had hearr 1 
a word except from your own mouth. 

S. And certainly you did not hear it 
from me. 

J5. Actions sometimes speak louder 
than words. 



44 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

S. What did I do, pray tell, that re- 
vealed to you my past history ? 

O. God Almighty generally puts a 
mark upon those who reject the spe- 
cial influences of his Spirit, I tell you, 
friend, that it is no trifling affair to 
pass through such a season, and to re- 
sist such an influence. It leaves a 
man a great deal nearer the bottomless 
pit than he ever was before. It pre- 
pares him for caviling. It leads him 
to false doctrines. It arms him against 
the truth, and transforms him as it 
were into a rock, so that invitations, 
mercies, warnings, threatenings and 
judgments fall upon him in vain. 

But lest you should reproach me 
hereafter in the spirit-world for lack 
of plain dealing, I must now frankly 
tell you that you were not so much 
ashamed of your weakness, of which 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 45 

you speak, as of your Saviour whom 
you reject. I must tell you what that 
despised and neglected Redeemer says 
about such treatment, for I would not 
for the world keep back one word 
which he would have me speak. 

5. I would of course have you speak 
so as to be understood, whether I am 
benefited or not. But I do not think 
that a trifling indifference to him who 
is so much above our conceptions, can 
materially affect my destiny beyond 
the grave. 

B. Hark ! fellow traveler, hark ! Do 
you not hear that voice, those signi- 
ficant words, clear, solemn and dis- 
tinct ? " Whosoever, therefore, shall be 
ashamed of me and of my words, in 
this adulterous and sinful generation ; 
of him also shall the Son of Man be 
ashamed, when he cometh in the glory 



46 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

of his father with the holy angels." Now 
this makes it very clear that those who 
are ashamed of Christ and his cause, 
will have little reason to expect his 
favors at the judgment of the great 
day. 

& The translators were not inspired 
men, and I presume that such passages 
are not rightly rendered. Does it look 
reasonable that I shall die in my sins, 
and be forever excluded from the so- 
ciety of the blest and the happiness of 
heaven ? 

J5. It is very unreasonable indeed 
that you should take such a suicidal 
course as to exclude yourself from all 
good in the spirit-world. But if you 
will not have salvation on the Saviour's 
terms, what is to be done ? If you love 
darkness rather than light, he must ne- 
cessarily prepare a dark abode for your 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 47 

habitation, for it is his plan to give 
every one his choice — light or dark- 
ness — life or death — heaven or hell. 

But, remember, that if you make a 
foolish choice, you alone must bear the 
blame and suffer the consequences. 
All the inhabitants of heaven and hell 
will say that it is your own fault, and 
conscience more than all. Even Satan 
and all the hosts of fallen angels will 
reproach you, saying, " What a foolish, 
stupid, and self-ruined wretch has come 
to join our ranks ! Guilty, guilty ! 
See ! there is no such spot on us as 
cleaves to thee ! How defiled with 
sin, and stained with blood Divine ! 
Thou hast murdered the Lamb of 
God, and refused his pardon. Do you 
think that we would ever be thus 
foolish and guilty, if such offers were 
made to us as you have spurned ? You 



48 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

were told plainly that all this would 
come upon you, that you were madly 
rushing on to ruin, and yet here you 
are. See what a strange work you 
have done ! Behold the desolation on 
the right hand and on the left. Is not 
the destruction which has now come 
upon you quite as bad as it was ever 
represented to be ?" What an end ! or 
rather, what a beginning ! 

It seems to me that you must be 
aware that you have too much at stake 
to cavil w 7 ith the truthc As to any 
wrong translation of which you speak, 
I think you have little to hope for in 
such a refuge. You are aware that 
thousands of learned and honest men, 
who fear God and walk in his com- 
mandments, testify, both living and dy- 
ing, that our present version is a fair 
and truthful representation of the ori- 



THE SPlRIT-WORLD. 49 

ginal copy. Their testimony on any 
other subject you would never question. 
Why so skeptical now ? Possibly you 
would not find so much fault with your 
Bible if it did not find so much fault 
with you. I suppose that you will ap- 
prove of the translation of any text 
which leaves you undisturbed in your 
sins. Let us try the test. " Say unto 
them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I 
have no pleasure in the death of the 
wicked." How do you like this trans- 
lation ? 

iS. It is a beautiful text, and I know 
not how you can read such a passage 
without becoming as incredulous res- 
pecting future punishment as myself. 

B. Yes, it is a beautiful passage, 
but perhaps it would not have been 
quite so acceptable to you in its pre- 
sent translation if I had quoted the 



50 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

whole text, as it does not seem to give 
much support to the doctrine which 
you are trying to believe, and know to 
be false. 

S. What is the other portion ? 

B. " But that the wicked turn from 
his way and live ; turn ye, turn ye from 
your evil ways ; for why will ye die ?" 
Now this looks as if our Creator was 
very much in earnest when he thus 
expostulated with the wicked, but it 
does not look much as if they were in 
the path which leads to life. 

S. And 1 do not see that the whole 
taken together proves that they were 
in the road that leads to death. 

B. It simply proves that those who 
do not turn from their evil ways must 
perish in the world to come ; and also 
proves the genuineness of the transla- 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 51 

tion far more conclusively than my 
first quotation could have done. 

S. I do not see what reason you 
have to come to either conclusion. If 
the Almighty has no pleasure in the 
destruction of the wicked will he suf- 
fer it to come upon them ? 

B. Why not? 

S. Because we are informed that he 
does his pleasure in the armies of hea- 
ven above and among the inhabitants 
of the earth, and will he permit events 
to occur which give him no pleasure? 

B. Certainly he will, and does, every 
day. For if he is pleased with those who 
curse and swear, and lie and steal, and 
rob and kill — and if he delights as 
much in those who hate, as in those 
who love him, the Saviour died in vain. 
Hence, although it is no pleasure to 
him that mortals sin, yet sin they will, 



52 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

so it is no pleasure to him that the 
incorrigible suffer in the spirit- world, 
yet suffer they must and do ; for the 
mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. 
This truth is as clearly established in 
the Bible, as the Divinity of the Su- 
preme Being, the eternity of his exis- 
tence, and the happiness of heaven. 

S. Possibly not, according to the 
right interpretation. 

B. It was the Father's good pleasure 
from the foundation of the world to 
give to the children of men the power 
of choice, and to make their choice 
his criterion in deciding their future 
destiny. Hence, there is no alterna- 
tive but to choose, and during the brief 
interval of our earthly existence, we 
must choose life or death, weal or woe. 
And as his terms are so easy, the way 
of life so plain, his offers so inviting, 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 53 

and the reward so great ; who that is 
so reckless as to spurn all, will have 
any cause to complain if it is still his 
pleasure to carry out his original plan, 
though his merited wrath falls heavily 
upon those who will not obey the gos- 
pel? With any other construction, 
this text would be a perfect riddle. 

S. Why so ? 

B. Suppose that when these words, 
" why will ye die," were first uttered, 
some one had said, speak a little plain- 
er to the people lest they mistake thy 
meaning in regard to death. What 
w r ould have been the probable answer ? 
They know very well already that I 
spake not of natural death; for whether 
they turn or not, this is their inevitable 
portion. They also know that I spake 
not of moral death ; for even a child 
knows that he is already dead in tres- 



54 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

passes and sins. Moreover, none but a 
skeptic, who wishes to pervert the truth, 
will ever think of giving it any other 
meaning than the second or eternal 
death ; for every living man is already 
involved in every other form of death. 
Now, are you willing to take the re- 
sponsibility of saying, that, whether men 
turn or not, they shall live forever ? 

& Well, I should not like to say 
that. But you were going to show how 
the text proves the genuineness of its 
translation. 

jB. You are aware that it is not 
human nature to condemn self. In all 
our transactions, we naturally put the 
best side out ; so much so, that witL 
what we know of human nature, we 
expect that if we detect any exaggera- 
tion in the statement of any individual 
in relation to some transaction in 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 55 

which he is personally interested, that 
it will be found in favor of the party 
making the statement. Hence, if I 
had any fears of an incorrect transla- 
tion, it would be concerning that very 
portion of Scripture which is glad tid- 
ings of great joy to the world. I should 
fear that more encouragement had 
been given than facts would warrant 
in the end, leaving man to be over- 
whelmed in his false hopes. 

Now it augurs a bad cause for us 
to find fault with the sacred page. I 
admit that it is a painful truth to con- 
template, that one soul unreconciled 
to God, is every moment exposed to 
all the horrors of the second death. 
Painful as it may be, however, it does 
not alter the fact. There stands the 
* thus saith the Lord." And how pain- 
ful the thought that every one who is 



56 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

thus exposed, is so from his own choice, 
and persists in remaining so, in spite 
of all that can be said and done to 
urge him to escape. The most fear- 
ful declarations of the gospel, are all 
made in mercy to man, that he may 
awake and flee from the wrath to 
come. If your house was in flames 
over your head at midnight, would you 
prefer to have me sing you to sleep 
rather than to disturb your peace by 
crying, fire — fire ? 

8. O, no, it would be very natural 
for me in such a case to want to know 
it in time to either quench the flames 
or escape from them. 

B. Then take warning now, and es- 
cape for thy life, for there is but a step 
between thee and the fire that shall 
never be quenched. I am fearful that 
you little realize the danger to which 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 57 

your excuses and procrastination are 
subjecting you. If you were to go to 
the grave-yard and kneel down over 
the remains of some departed neighbor 
whom you knew had been devotedly 
attached to temporal things, through a 
long life, to the neglect of things spi- 
ritual and eternal, and lay your ear on 
the damp, cold sod, and then whisper 
forth an earnest request, begging him 
to speak to you from the tomb ; and 
should he be permitted to comply, and 
address you in such language as - one 
from the spirit-world might consider 
expedient, what, think you, would be 
his message ? 

5». Indeed it is more than I can tell ; 
for I never thought of disturbing the 
repose of the dead with any such re- 
quest ; and hence it would be impossi- 
ble for me to say what would be the 



58 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

nature of any communication from 
such a source, if it were possible for 
me to give to the dead an ear to hear, 
or a ton gue to speak. 

B. Well, we may reasonably con- 
clude that although such a communica- 
tion might embrace much concerning 
things of which we now know little or 
nothing, yet we should probably be 
greeted in something like the following 
manner, viz. : — When I tabernacled in 
the flesh, I made many great mistakes. 
I lived as though time would never end, 
or eternity begin. I was often urged 
to prepare for an approaching dissolu- 
tion, and reminded of a natural tend- 
ency to procrastinate, and the immi- 
nent danger of delay. Still, an almost 
irresistible sensibility bound me down 
to earthly things, so that I hardly real- 
ized that I was mortal, and knew not 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 59 

that I stood upon the grave's-mouth 
until the tomb swallowed me up. 
True, I sometimes intended to set my 
house in order, and make preparation 
for a dying day ; but I greatly deceived 
myself by supposing that I should find 
a more convenient season at some fu- 
ture time. But this I never realized. 
My days and my privileges passed ra- 
pidly away, and I found myself an in- 
habitant of the spirit-world before I 
was hardly aware that 1 had begun to 
live. But had I known what I now know, 
not all the pleasures or temptations of 
earth could have possibly induced me 
to let the momentous point of time al- 
lotted to me among the sons of men 
pass unimproved, as I spent my day of 
probation. But not a stone can now 
be turned ; not a moment can now be 
recalled ; not a mistake can be recti- 



60 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

lied ; not a pang can be removed. 
Nothing can I now do to alter the past, 
or improve the future, or to induce 
those whom I have left hehind to be- 
ware of launching into the spirit-world 
in such a state. 

That you may not have occasion to 
regret a similar mistake, 1 feel con- 
strained to give you warning, for I am 
fearful that a hope that all may end 
well at last, some way or other, with- 
out any effort on your part to secure a 
happy eternity, is the great delusion 
with which Satan will drag you down 
to the chambers of death. At our 
next interview we will take up the 
subject again, if the Lord permit. 



CHAPTER in. 



& Well, Mr. B , you promised 

to resume the discussion at our next 
meeting, and as we are again fortu- 
nately thrown together in the same 
path, under favorable circumstances 
for such a theme, let us pursue the sub- 
ject ; for I somehow feel inclined to 
talk with you a little more about the 
spirit- world, although in many things 
we may not agree. 

B. Whether we agree or not, the 
case will be properly decided, for the 
judge and the witnesses are now pre- 
sent. 

S. But who are the witnesses of 
whom you speak ? 

B. The Great Omnipresent Spirit 



62 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

and Judge of quick and dead, and your 
conscience and mine ; and a record of 
their testimony is kept, and will be 
presented in the great court above. 

S. You recollect that before we last 
parted, you expressed a fear that I 
might trust to a simple desire for hap- 
piness without any effort to obtain it. 
Now, as this desire is universal — as 
not a single human being can be found 
on the earth who does not desire a 
happy abode beyond the tomb — and as 
we may conclude that this desire was 
never given to tantalize the human 
family, may we not suppose that these 
cravings for happiness are tokens of 
universal salvation ? 

B. The old homely adage seems to 
be a very appropriate reply to your 
inquiry. " If wishes were horses, beg- 
gars might ride." A simple desire for 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 63 

an abundance will secure nothing for 
the sluggard but poverty. But even 
where proper means to secure an end 
are not neglected, a simple and a sin- 
cere desire is a very improper criterion 
by which to predict the issue. Every 
man desires uninterrupted prosperity ; 
and no man enjoys it. Every man 
wishes to become independent ; but if 
he has no better reason than that to 
expect it, he will probably be disap- 
pointed. Every man desires immunity 
from all pain and sorrow, and more 
intensely pants for life than for any 
earthly good, and yet no power, hu- 
man or divine, interposes to make him 
proof against the arrows of death. 
Hence we discover, that he who trusts 
simply to his own desires, leans upon 
a broken reed, as his only security lies 
in a proper reception of the truth. 



64 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

S. Well, in this conclusion I believe 
that you are right. But the question 
is, what is a proper reception of the 
truth ? One man believes one thing, 
and another believes something else. 

B. Yes, and the inspired word in- 
forms us that some are given up to be- 
lieve a lie that they may be damned. 
But this is one of those passages which 
I suppose you will condemn as a mis- 
translation, as it very evidently speaks 
r little in favor of what you wish were 
true. And if the doctrine which you 
are half inclined to advocate, just to 
keep conviction and salvation out of 
your heart were true, a slight mistake 
in the present version is quite evident. 
It would seem that it ought to read, 
given up to believe a lie, that they all 
might be saved. Possibly you might 
prefer to admit that some punishment 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 65 

must be the consequence of sin, and 
consent to have the passage rendered, 
Given up to believe a lie, that all 
might be damned on earth and saved 
in heaven. 

But even this translation would not 
satisfy that class who advocate a pur- 
gatorial system of salvation. Hence, 
a further modification would be de- 
manded, namely, given up to believe 
a lie, that they all might be damned on 
earth, and damned in hell, and saved 
in heaven. 

S. I think, sir, that you are trying to 
make my belief appear ridiculous. 

B. I only wish you to see how fool- 
ish it is to try to bend the truth to your 
own carnal desires, instead of bending 
the knee and bowing your heart in 
humble supplication before him who 
never turns away the penitent. But 
6* 



66 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

as no translation will please all, and 
as the blessed gospel will not let down 
its high and holy claims to accommo- 
date any, we had better let it stand 
unaltered, and rather endeavor to ob- 
tain a translation of our priceless 
souls "into the everlasting kingdom 
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,'' 
for "without are murderers, and idola- 
tors, and whosoever loveth and maketh 
a lie." 

S. Well, I am willing to abide by 
the present version. " Wherefore God 
also hath highly exalted him and given 
him a name w T hich is above every 
name ; that at the name of Jesus every 
knee should bow, of things in heaven 
and things in earth, and things under 
the earth ; and that every tongue 
should confess that Jesus Christ is 
Lord, to the glory of God the Father." 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 67 

Now this, I think must satisfy you that 
the final restitution of all things is 
clearly predicted, and that when all 
shall confess Jesus Christ to be Lord, 
to the glory of God the Father, there 
will be few left in misery. 

B. What if every criminal under 
sentence of death should confess that 
he who pronounces sentence against 
him, is a righteous Judge, to the glory 
of the Court, and honor of our laws ; 
would such a confession set him free 
from the penalty of a violated law ? 
The time shall surely come when every 
knee shall bow in willing or unwilling 
submission to the King of kings and 
Lord of lords — when those cavilers 
who said, who is this 1 H Is not this 
the carpenter's son ?" shall confess that 
Jesus Christ is Lord — nay, when every 
reviler and blasphemer* and all the 



68 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

devils in hell, who in the days of hta 
flesh confessed that he was Lord to 
the glory of God, " for they knew that 
he was Christ," — when all the countless 
hosts of heaven, earth and hell shall 
acknowledge not only the goodness 
but the justice of him who sitteth upon 
the throne, to the glory of God the 
Father, and then we shall understand 
what he means where he says, " the 
wrath of man shall praise him." 

& If any part of the human family 
are in danger of eternal damnation, it 
ought to be so stated in plain words. 

B. It is so stated, and in language 
of such awful import that I am sur- 
prised that any living mortal should 
dare to call it in question, lest he 
should be left to " believe a lie." There 
is awful meaning in this passage* 

& Where is it so stated ? 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 69 

B. In the gospel according to Mark, 
iii. 29. " But he that shall blaspheme 
against the Holy Ghost hath never 
forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal 
damnation." Now, according to your 
belief, you must be ready to say that 
this is not a fair statement which the 
Lord of glory made to his enemies ; for, 
if there is no such thing as sin against 
the Holy Ghost, which hath never for- 
giveness, there is certainly no danger of 
committing it. And if they did com- 
mit it, as there is and can be no dan- 
ger of that which does not exist, they 
could not have been in danger of eter- 
nal damnation, if there were no such 
punishment for the wicked. 

One would suppose, that after loving 
our fallen race so much as to die for 
them, that this glorious Saviour would 
faive used such language when address- 



70 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

ing the multitude, as could have been 
understood. And if he who spake as 
never man spake, has anywhere in- 
timated that all his foes shall be as his 
friends, that all the wicked and they 
that forget God shall be turned into 
heaven, we ought to find it so stated 
in pretty plain language, for it is said 
in so many words that they shall be 
turned into hell. 

S. But learned men tell us that hell 
means the grave. 

B. Well, then, it ought to read, The 
wicked and they that forget God shall 
be turned into the grave ; and what be- 
comes of the righteous ? If the Saviour 
ever intended to convey any such im- 
pression, I think, if not before, at the 
crucifixion, or at least previous to his 
ascension, he would have given some- 
thing like the following testimony. 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 71 

Having spoken of eternal damnation 
and of the blackness of darkness, and 
of the impassable gulf, and the worm 
that never dies, and the fire that shall 
never be quenched, and of the sin that 
shall never be forgiven, neither in this 
world neither in the w^orld to come ; 
and having made many other an- 
nouncements which might cause need- 
less alarm, I would therefore have it 
distinctly understood that I never meant 
it when I said so. 

There are many false teachers in the 
world, therefore be on your guard lest 
they disturb you by exhorting you to 
" strive to enter in at the strait gate," 
saying that " many shall seek to enter 
in and shall not be able." True, I said 
so to the Jews, but I intended my re- 
marks for those who are in the habit 
of entering the gates of Jerusalem at 



72 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

a late and unseasonable hour, and for 
similar procrastinators. Moreover, all 
that I have said respecting the peril, 
the guilt, or the future destruction of 
the wicked, means little or nothing, 
for there is no difference between the 
wheat and the tares, the sheep and the 
goats, the righteous and the wicked ; 
or between heaven and hell. 

Now, my dear friend, we ought to 
find this statement, or its equivalent, 
in the Bible, to make it safe for any 
one to indulge the slightest hope or 
expectation that all will end well with 
those who live and die in sin. Have 
you found such testimony ? 

S. Not precisely such testimony as 
that. 

B. I think not. 

S. Perhaps I shall not be able to 
find such proof as will satisfy you. 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 73 

B. I think not. 

S. I expect to find such testimony 
as will satisfy me. 

B. I think not. 

/S. You know that I am a plain, un- 
learned man, and do not profess to be 
able to confute those who disagree 
with me on religious subjects. 

B. On this ground we have neither 
of us anything of which to boast. But 
we have as deep an interest in the im- 
portant subject of redemption as the 
most learned. And as the rule of faith 
and practice, and the road that leads 
to joys on high are so plain that a 'way- 
faring man, though a fool, need not err 
therein,' we may perhaps receive as 
much benefit ourselves from this in- 
terview, if we cherish a right spirit, 
as if we were learned divines. 

But I think vou will find that the 

i 



74 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

difficulty of presenting Scripture tes- 
timony to prove your theory, lies not 
so much in want of skill to select ap- 
propriate texts, as in the actual ab- 
sence of the proof itself. I have not 
yet discovered that you have any 
proof which satisfies yourself that all 
is well. Man naturally loves to feel 
that all is safe on the other side of the 
grave, and no matter what he does on 
this side. But we have already seen 
that it will not do to build upon such 
a foundation, and beware how you 
lean upon a broken reed. 

S. Although I do not wish to de- 
ceive myself, which is worse in some 
respects than to deceive others, yet I 
am not willing to believe that a por- 
tion of the human race are to perish 
forever, and sink lower and lower in 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 75 

the dark regions of despair as long as 
eternity endures. 

B, To become skeptical concerning 
everything we see and hear, which 
shocks our feelings, would be to act 
the part of a madman. It is a shock- 
ing truth, I admit. But more shocking 
still, if possible, to contemplate the 
fact, that men hate and reject the very 
provision that has been made to pre- 
vent their final destruction. It gives 
me pain to think that you make so 
much effort to persuade yourself that 
all will finally be saved somehow or 
other, instead of accepting at once a 
risen Saviour's offer, which would cer- 
tainly secure a crown of everlasting 
life. But I fear that you will never 
wear that crown in the spirit- world. 

S. Why have you such fears ? 

B. Because, in the first place, as you 



76 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

do not wish to give up your sins, you 
are trying to satisfy yourself that it is 
not indispensably necessary* You had 
rather be saved in some other way ? 

S. But is it not written that he shall 
save his people from their sins ? 

B. It is so written, and what strong- 
er proof would you have that you are 
not one of his chosen ones, for he does 
not thus save you. He saves his peo- 
ple from their sins, but not others. He 
saves those from their sins who hate 
sin and mourn over it, and earnestly 
beg to be delivered from it. Those 
who love sin and cherish it, and " roll it 
as a sweet morsel under their tongues," 
he leaves to their own chosen way, 
saying, " Ephraim is joined to his idols^ 
let him alone." But, another reason 
why I fear that you will never secure 
your everlasting peace, is, because 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 77 

you are like the Israelites who, after 
being brought to the very borders of 
Canaan, turned their backs upon the 
promised land. 

S. What has this to do with my 
condition? 

B. Nothing, perhaps, so far as their 
acts were concerned. But I was going 
to tell you in what particular you imi- 
tate their example. You have been 
brought near to the heavenly Canaan, 
and yet you have refused to enter the 
kingdom. You once saw the time 
when the blessed Spirit whispered in 
your ear, "This is the way, walk ye in 
it." 

But you would not obey. You were 
ashamed to have it known that you 
had any anxiety about your everlast- 
ing peace, or the least desire to become 
a friend of the lowlv Saviour; and 



78 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

hence you grieved away the blessed 
Spirit from your heart, and I fear that 
such a season may never return. I 
always tremble for any man who has 
thus been forsaken of the Holy Ghost. 
It is a fearful thing to quench the 
Spirit, and men at such times know 
not what they do. I have noticed that 
such men are generally ready to em- 
brace all sorts of error in preference 
to the truth. 

A great sacrifice has been made to 
procure redemption for our race, and 
salvation is freely offered even " with- 
out money and without price," upon 
the simple terms of acceptance by 
faith. Now, after the ransom price of 
the world's redemption is paid, the 
great gospel feast provided, and the 
invitation sent abroad, saying, " Come, 
for all things are now ready," if a man 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 79 

will not accept, (for it is a will not if 
he does not accept,) if he spurns all 
the kind offers of heaven — slights all 
the counsels of God — rejects all the 
invitations of Christ — resists all the 
influences of the Spirit, and dashes the 
cup of salvation from his lips, the only 
portion for him is, an eternal residence 
in his own place. 

But how rapid is the flight of time. 
It reminds me that there is but a step 
between us and eternity, for how soon 
do we find it necessary to part. If 
permitted to have another interview 
this side of the spirit- world, I hope that 
I shall find you walking and rejoicing 
vn the truth. 



CHAPTER IV. 

S. Good morning, sir. Since I last 
parted with you, I have pretty much 
come to the conclusion that we had 
better drop the further consideration of 
matters in the spirit-world, for I think 
that our conversation has had an un- 
happy effect upon my mind, as I be- 
fore intimated that I suspected such a 
result would follow. 

B. I should be very sorry indeed, to 
have your feelings disturbed by our 
interviews, for I would rather do you 
good, than harm. But I am glad to 
hear you say that our conversation has 
affected your mind, although you call 
it an unhappy effect, for I suspect what 
you consider an unfavorable impres- 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 81 

sion, is no more nor less than an 
awakened conscience, which you would 
at once hail with thanksgiving, if you 
realized its importance. But in what 
way have you in body or mind been 
disturbed ? 

& I have been unhappy by night 
and by day, not even enjoying a re- 
spite during the hours of sleep. I re- 
cently had a very singular dream, and 
my mind has not been at rest since. 

B. Well, I have little faith in dreams, 
but still I am willing to listen to your 
account of it, for the good Book says, 
" he that hath a dream, let him tell a 
dream," and possibly its meaning may 
be made clear, or at least the cause of 
it. 

S. Ah ! I know the cause of it full 
well, as I have intimated already. 

B. Was it a troubled mind and a 



82 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

guilty conscience ? Was it a lively 
sense during your wakeful moments, 
that all was not right ? 

S. Well, I retired to rest, and after 
musing awhile upon life's checkered 
scene, I fell asleep. A strange feeling 
came over me, I knew not why, and a 
venerable looking personage stood be- 
fore me, and beckoned me to follow 
him. With reluctance I obeyed the 
signal, and my guide led the way 
through a dark and winding valley 
which seemed to be bounded on one 
side by gigantic frowning mountains, 
and on the other by what appeared 
like an impassable gulph ; and I said 
to my guide, What is that ? pray tell 
me, stranger, what dreadful place is 
that ? There is something dolefully 
strange and awful in its aspect ; what 
can it mean ? 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 83 

" Don't you know ?" said he. " Did 
you ever see anything like it V 9 

Never, said I ; neither do I ever ex- 
pect to see aught to equal it. 

" Can there be anything else so un- 
utterably awful ?" said he. 

Never ! 

" Then, you ought to know what it 
is." 

Is it hell ? 

u Ah, yes ! It can be nothing else. 
You have heard of the blackness of 
darkness, and there it is. You now 
behold the gateway, the borders, the 
foreshadowing, the beginning of that 
hell, which is the final dwelling-place 
and portion of all who ever did or ever 
will transgress without repentance." 

Horrible ! What an abode ! Let us 
run ! If that is the dark dwelling-place 
of lost angels and lost men, I have seen 



84 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

enough ! Let us turn back as fast as 
we can, said I. 

" Utterly impossible," said he. " No, 
there is no retracing our steps. We 
can only proceed, and it is therefore 
the more important that we be care- 
ful to shun the broad road in which 
you see the multitude pressing on to 
ruin." 

I noticed that both before and be- 
hind, and on my right hand and on my 
left, myriads of human beings of all 
nations, grades, and ages, were press- 
ing on with, ceaseless tread throughout 
the length and breadth of the vale. 
All seemed to be going in one direc- 
tion, and none returned. Many stum- 
bled and fell, and quickly disappear- 
ed, and their places were occupied by 
others. 

But what seemed very strange to 



THE SriR IT- WORLD. 85 

me, was, that whenever any one thus 
disappeared, I fancied that I heard ? 
either in the direction of the gulph, in- 
distinct lamentations, or above the 
tops of the mountains, sweet songs of 
joy. I then ventured to ask my guide 
the meaning of this strange phenome- 
non. 

He looked up, as though about to 
direct my attention to the upper world, 
and in a moment his face shone like 
an angel's, and just as he uttered the 
words, "Blessed are the dead who" — 
an old man, but a few steps ahead of 
us, with a brazen, forbidding face, 
gasped and fell, and cries of an 
guish reverberated through the ca- 
verns of the dark gulph, which so 
attracted the attention of my guide 
as well as my own, that he paused ; 
and as he turned his eye that way^ 



86 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

his countenance suddenly changed, 
and he said, " Wait a little season, 
the explanation is at hand. We are 
on the way to the spirit-world, and 
this is to all, a journey of trial, and 
those who go through this valley with 
a right spirit — with an earnest desire 
to please the Judge of all, will soon 
join those who sung that sweet song 
above the tops of the mountains. Those 
who do not, alas ! for them. They 
are undone." 

This he said with a solemn emphasis 
that thrilled my very soul, and re^- 
minded me at once of our conversa- 
tion about the spirit- world, and I felt 
very unhappy. 

B. It is very natural that a subject 
of so much importance — one in which 
you have such a vast interest for time 
and eternity, should have been upper- 



THE SFIRIT-WORLD. 87 

most in your mind before closing your 
eyes, and if it occupied your thoughts 
while they took little cognizance of the 
flesh, it is not at all strange. But 1 
hope your emotions, even during the 
hours of slumber, will lead you to be- 
ware how you delay making prepara- 
tion for the spirit-world, for you will 
soon stumble and fall, and others will 
occupy your place. 

S. As I went on, with feelings that 
I cannot describe, I could but ask my- 
self the question, can I do nothing to 
secure prosperity in this important, 
momentous journey ? Is there no en- 
couragement for travelers in this dark 
vale — no repentance for the past, no 
hope for the future ? While revolving 
these questions in my mind, an indi- 
vidual with a sly, cunning, skeptical 
look, drew near. 



88 THE SPIRfT-WORLD. 

" What has happened to thee, my 
good friend ?" said he. * Why art thou 
sad ? Thou art in the right road ; 
just look and see ! Behold ! the whole 
world are going in the same direction. 
Thou art as w r ell off as the rest. If 
these are all safe, thou hast nothing 
to fear. And if they are all in danger, 
what canst thou do ? Canst thou stay 
the wheels of time, and escape the 
common fate of man ? It is folly to 
give thyself any trouble about the fu- 
ture, and especially as the Bible in- 
forms us that all things shall work to- 
gether for good." 

This salutation only made me the 
more uncomfortable, because I could 
think of nothing but a wolf in sheep's 
clothing, and hence I said to him, You, 
sir, are a dishonest man, or you would 
not mutilate the word of God, for that 
word says that " all things shall work 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 89 

together for good to them that love 
God," and to those who do not, there 
is nothing promised but tribulation and 
wrath. 

B. Well, it seems that you are either 
more orthodox, or honest in your 
dreams, than during your wakeful mo- 
ments, for had it been a reality I fear 
that you and the skeptic would have 
agreed too well. But how did he stand 
the rebuke ? 

S. He looked very angry and hurried 
away, exclaiming, " Thou art full of 
priestcraft." And my guide said, " It is 
well to get clear of such enemies as 
soon as possible." I thought so, and 
was glad to see him start, although he 
immediately began to stir up and fill 
the air with dust to turn me out of my 
way ; and not satisfied with this, he 

returned and impudently and hate- 

S* 



90 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

fully gazed at me with a scornful frown 
and malicious look, that I could hardly 
endure. His countenance became dis- 
torted and frightful ; his eyes were red 
with rage, his breath horribly offen- 
sive, and his whole body seemed in- 
flated with passion. 

" Silly man !" said he, " to worry 
thyself about a little sin. Of course, 
we have all, more or less, come short, 
or gone astray ; but what of that ? 
Who expects to answer for every erro- 
neous step which he may chance to take 
in this dark valley ? Why don't these 
things disturb me ? I was once as full 
of superstition as thyself, and I suppose 
that I should have remained as un- 
happy to this day, if I had suffered my 
mind to be led into bondage by reli- 
gious fanatics. But you see that I am 
clear of such fetters, now." 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 91 

I thought that I then had strength 
and courage to reply with a good deal 
of spirit, as I said to him, Your condi- 
tion is now no better than mine, unless 
it is better to go blindfolded to destruc- 
tion, than to endeavor with your eyes 
open to escape. And as to your evil 
deeds for which you do not expect to 
be held responsible, they may drag 
you into a more fearful bondage than 
superstition. If all your rebellion and 
unbelief — all your hatred and rejection 
of Christ and his gospel, and all your 
love and practice of sin, is to be un- 
noticed, how are you to be judged ac- 
cording to your works. 

When I reminded him of his down- 
right hatred of all good, (and this I felt 
compelled to do, I know not why,) and 
the fearful victory which he had gain- 
ed over conscience, and the probable 



92 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

destiny that awaited him, to which he 
was drawing near, his anger was 
greater than ever, and his curses more 
abundant, and he seized me with a 
strong grasp, and a hand, oh, how cold ! 
and said, "What dost thou mean V 9 

I mean to warn thee of approach- 
, ing danger, said I. 

" How did it come to be any of thy 
concern whether I fare well or ill, be- 
yond this vale V 9 said he. " Who told 
thee that there was any doubt of my 
good estate hereafter? And if my 
danger was twice as imminent as thou 
dost represent it to be, dost thou sup- 
pose that I would be foolish enough to 
be influenced by such a fanatic? Here 
is a man coming up behind, who has 
been warned for days, months and 
years, by the most eloquent and zeal- 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 93 

ous of all fanatics, and what has it all 
availed ? He is still as" — 

His hand suddenly became relaxed 
and fell to his side, as he uttered these 
words, and his eye with a strange glare 
became fixed upon the object of his 
remark, and I turned to see what unex- 
pected event had thus caused the bold 
caviler to quake, and behold the man 
had given up the ghost, and I heard a 
voice saying, u He that being often re- 
proved, hardeneth his neck, shall sud- 
denly be destroyed and that without 
remedy." 

Then fearful flashes of lurid flame 
seemed to stream up from the dark 
abyss in the distance, and I heard a 
dreadful lamentation that no tongue 
can describe, which almost paralyzed 
my every nerve, and when the cry, 
* The harvest is past, the summer is 



94 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

ended, and I am not saved," was dis- 
tinctly heard, the hardened skeptic 
trembled as he shut his eyes and stopped 
his ears, saying, " I have no desire to 
see or hear anything which reminds 
me of the time when, through the in- 
fluence of a disordered imagination, 
I was well nigh driven to despair, and 
was a wretched sufferer day and 
night until I resolved to banish all 
foolish thoughts of sin and suffering 
from my mind." And so, said I, you 
prefer to shut out from your mind, the 
knowledge of your true character that 
you may go down to an abode of eter- 
nal darkness, with a lie in your right 
hand, crying Peace, peace, while scoff- 
ing at things sacred and divine, as 
though to make your own destruction 
sure. 

After a mock-laugh, he replied, " I 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 95 

have heard all these things before — 
you can tell me nothing new, for I was 
once almost persuaded to become a 
Christian. I was foolish enough to run 
this way and that way for religious 
counsel — I asked Christians to pray for 
me, and tried to pray for myself, and 
read books, and heard sermons, and 
shed tears, and made promises, and 
all to no purpose. But as I grew old- 
er, I grew wiser, and I had now rather 
hear a man swear than pray ; and the 
thundering rumblings in yonder mur- 
ky, smoky abyss, are music compared 
to the psalms and hymn^ of shouting 
fanatics." 

When he observed that he was once 
almost persuaded to become a Chris- 
tian, and when it seemed to me that 
he was now almost or quite beyond 
the reach of mercy, your remarks at a 



96 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

former meeting on this subject flashed 
across my mind like a burning flame, 
and rent my inmost soul as with a 
barbed arrow, and I knew not how to 
endure such awful forebodings. But 
still I did not, could not awake. I 
seemed to have no power to break the 
spell, or to stir. When I did awake, 
however, I was surprised to see what 
had been the state of mind, during my 
dream, in relation to my strange course 
of reasoning. 

B. I suspect that the day is not very 
distant, when you will find that your 
conclusions were too well founded for 
your everlasting good, if you do not 
speedily pursue the course which con- 
science marked out even in a dreamy 
imagination. But as you say that you 
did not awake during the exciting mo- 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 97 

merit, what became of him who so dis- 
turbed your peace? 

S. Well, I did intend to beg to be 
excused from any further consideration 
of spiritual topics, but as it has now 
become necessary for us to close this 
interview, I will finish my dream at 
our next meeting. 



CHAPTER V. 

B. Well, friend, it is our good for- 
tune to meet again this side of the 
spirit- world. 

S. Good fortune ! I think that if 
these interviews made you as unhap- 
py as they do me, that you would not 
consider your fortune a very good one. 
Indeed I would toil hard for a whole 
month to banish from my mind all 
thoughts and effects of that awful 
dream, of which I am confident that I 
should never have known anything, if 
you had not called my attention to the 
spirit-world. But, instead of forget- 
ting it, I add more to it almost every 
night. I think about it by day, and 
dream about my dream by night, and 



THE SPIR1T-W0ELD. 99 

although I am not exactly prepared to 
believe in your doctrine, and though it 
was nothing but a dream, yet I would 
give anything to know that the history 
and destiny of that wretched individ- 
ual was not, after all, my own ! 

B. Whatever you might have fan- 
cied the destiny of the caviler to be, 
you have no excuse for remaining one 
moment unreconciled to God, and ex- 
posed to the awful overthrow of the 
wicked. And if you have reason to 
fear that you had in your dream a 
foretaste of approaching wretchedness, 
then surely you ought to see to it that 
you halt no longer between two opin- 
ions, as you know not what a day may 
bring forth. Perhaps this is your last 
call, your last chance, your last hope. 
Oh ! turn, I beseech you, for the spirit- 
world is at hand. Escape for your 



100 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

life, I pray you, and do violence to con- 
science no longer, for mercy I trust is 
yet in store for you. But remember, 
there was a time when it was said. 
" Ephraim is joined to his idols, let 
him alone." I suppose you thought in 
your dream, that this had been said of 
the poor man who seemed so hardened 
and abandoned. 

S. Indeed I did, and I reminded him 
of it, although I can hardly account 
for such replies as I made to his asser- 
tions when he told me that he had 
once been almost persuaded to become 
a Christian, You will never see that 
season again return, said I. You once 
saw the time, as you say, when you 
tried to pray. But what an awful 
prayer you uttered. And how fear- 
fully is it answered ! 

" What do you know, sir, about 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 101 

the nature of, and the answer to my 
prayers," said he. " How do you know 
what I prayed for in thosq days ?" 

It is evident that your prayers were 
of the same nature then as now. 

" What !" said he, " do you mean to 
accuse me of praying now ?" 

Yes, you pray now, just as you 
did then, and just as thousands of 
others did, and do still, to their own 
destruction. By so doing, they do not 
gain a victory over their sins, but over 
their souls. This prayer which you 
have so long offered, is very short, 
comprehensive, and effectual, namely, 
"I pray thee have me excused" That 
request has been granted, and you will 
probably be forever excused from all 
peace and joy in the spirit-world. 
Now, although I am a poor, miserable 

sinner myself, and know not that I 
9* 



102 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

have any thing better to look for, than 
you, yet I would not for a thousand 
worlds possess such feelings and such 
a spirit as you manifest. 

u No, fool ! you have nothing bet- 
ter to expect, nor as good either. 
There is a place in that world of 
which you speak, where fanatics are 
all shut up together, and I don't wish 
or intend to go there." 

Your day of scoffing will soon 
be over, said I, as your day of grace 
is probably already past. There 
doubtless was a time when the king- 
dom of heaven was brought very near, 
when the door was thrown wide open 
before you, but you refused to enter, 
and abused that golden moment, hard- 
ened your heart, stifled your conscience, 
blinded your eyes, shut your ears, and 
resisted all the gracious influences 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 103 

of the good Spirit, and I tremble to 
think that there is nothing left you but 
" a certain fearful looking-for of judg- 
ment, and fiery indignation which 
shall devour the adversaries." 

Muttering curses, he again left 
me, and joined himself to the rabble, 
and went on laughing at death and 
mocking at sin, crying, " Peace, peace." 

While pondering upon his condition 
and prospects, another individual drew 
near, and with a much more agreea- 
ble salutation, begged the privilege of 
asking a few questions, to which I 
gladly assented, hoping to have a 
more profitable interview than I had 
with the last, though I found him to be 
a despiser. 

" What think you of Christ!" said he. 
"It is said that he once appeared in this 
valley, and at a certain time, and on a 



104 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

particular spot, poured out his blood 
to wash away the guilty stains of sin ! 
Have you heard such news V ' 

O, yes, there is not a doubt of it ; 
and how much we need to be cleansed 
in that fountain, for we are corrupt. 

" I know it." 

It can take away the foulest stain ! 

? I know it". 

It can give spiritual life to those 
who are "dead in trespasses and 
sins," and fill the sorrowful heart with 
unceasing joy. 

" Yes, I know it." 

This is good news to those who 
realize their need of such an Almigh- 
ty helper. But what think you of 
Christ? 

It is indeed well to be able to 
apply to such a deliverer, in time of 
need. I often feel that something must 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 105 

be done, and frequently fear that 1 
shall come short of an interest in his 
atonement, because I am not quite 
ready to give up the world. I believe 
that he is able and willing to save all 
who come unto God through him. 
But I think that there is time enough 
yet, and that he is, withal, a little too 
strict." 

Can it be possible that you, too, 
are a despiser ? 

"Softly." 

You shock me, and I must express 
my horror ! 

" Not quite so loud ; 1 do not wish to 
have my opinions published abroad." 

Well, it is truly a sad calamity 
for such opinions to go abroad, and 
the very announcement sends a cold 
chill through my inmost soul. Is it 
possible that the vast multitude who 



106 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

throng this dark valley are all cavil- 
ers? 

" O, no ; not all," said my guide, who 
had for a long time seemingly left me 
to my own reflections, to find out by 
experience something of man's deadly 
opposition to God, and his gospel, while 
in a state of nature, as he said, " But 
wait a little ; thou shalt see by-and-by 
the effects of unbelief, and the fruits 
of delay." 

This he said with such a solemn em- 
phasis that I greatly trembled, for I 
knew not whether he had reference to 
some calamity about to befal the indi- 
vidual who had just turned away, or 
myself ; and I thought that I tried to 
cry aloud, Lord Jesus, have mercy on 
my soul. There ! stop, stop ! said I, to 
my guide. What is that, pray tell ! 
Didn't you see a group of human be- 



THE SPIRIT WORLD. 107 

ings take an awful plunge headlong 
into that dreadful fiery gulph ? Hark, 
hark ! I think I hear wailing and 
mourning voices from that direction 
like cries of despair ; it is an unearth- 
ly cry ; 'tis awful, — what meaneth it ? 

"Thou art right," said my guide, "it 
is the cry of despair. Such cries as 
mortals cannot utter or describe." 

But who are they who so strangely 
disappeared ? 

"One of them was tne man who 
laughed and mocked at sin, and called 
thee a fool. The man who said, 
* there is time enough yet,' was also 
among the number, and all were of 
the same class of despisers, and all 
meet the same doom." 

Then was I ready to cry out again, 
Lord Jesus, have mercy on my soul, 
and save me from the second death. 



108 THE SPIRIT -WORLD. 

" If thou wilt repent of all thy sins, and 
forsake all that thou hast, and follow 
him," said my guide, " thou shalt tri- 
umph over all thine enemies, and 
safely reach the abode of the just, and 
reign forever with the King of kings, 
and Lord of lords, and be filled with 
untold and everlasting felicity in the 
spirit- world. But never find fault with 
his terms, nor flatter yourself that 
there is any possible escape or hope 
for those who try to climb up to hea- 
ven in some other way. See to it that 
you take no refuge in any false doc- 
trine." 

When he said this, he looked very 
sharply in my face, and paused a mo- 
ment. I then felt inclined to change 
the conversation, and hoped that he 
would not again allude to the subject 
of false doctrine ; for, somehow, it 



THE SPIHIT- WORLD. 109 

made me feel very uncomfortable. 
Just at that moment he stepped up 
close to my side and whispered a few 
words which seemed like coals of lire 
in my ears, though they chilled the rest 
of my body to shivering. " Satan is 
baiting his hook with this false refuge 
every day," said he, " for thousands ; 
and he sees and know r s very well that 
you are half inclined to swallow it. 
Indeed you have once or twice taken 
the bait, with a hair-breadth escape, 
already, and if you are not cautious 
how you touch it again, you will find 
that the angler has proved too success- 
ful for the welfare of your poor soul." 
This fearful announcement, the truth 
of w r hich I could not deny, filled me 
with gloomy and horrible forebodings, 
and I looked sharply at myself to see 
if I was not already on the fatal hook, 
10 



110 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

ready to be dragged down into the 
fiery deep. At that moment I saw 
two individuals, hand in hand, rushing 
toward the pit, and I cried out, What 
can be done to save these deluded 
mortals from the fearful abyss, for 
they seem to be helping each other 
forward as fast as possible as though 
they were in haste to be ruined. What 
can be done ? 

" Nothing !" said a voice behind me. 
"Nothing can be done for those who 
will not walk in the path which is * so 
■plain that a way-faring man though a 
fool need not err therein.' Nothing 
can be done for those who ' love dark- 
ness rather than light, because their 
deeds are evil.' Nothing can be done 
for those who love sin, and hate the 
author of life and rush madly to de- 
struction. Nothing can be done for 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. Ill 

these, but that which has been done 
already, and all that they reject." 

Another bound and they sank out ot 
my sight ; and I heard a voice from 
above, saying, " Though hand join in 
hand, he shall not be unpunished." 
Again my guide drew near, and said, 
" Let me tell thee one thing — as ' face 
answereth to face in water, so the 
heart of man to man.' Now, remem- 
ber, that by nature thou art inclined 
to go in the same direction, and ex- 
posed to the same overthrow. There- 
fore be careful, and watch, and pray, 
and walk in the holy commandments 
of the King Eternal, or else no warning 
can save thee, nor ransom deliver thee. 
All do not come to such a dreadful 
end as did those of whose depar- 
ture thou hadst a glimpse. Didst 
thou not hear, but a moment ago, that 



112 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

sweet voice, saying, ' There is more joy 
in heaven over one sinner that repent- 
eth, than over ninety and nine just 
persons who need no repentance? 
Indeed, many repent and choose 
that better portion which shall not 
be taken from them, and rejoice 
even here in the midst of trials and 
sufferings. Hence, we perceive that 
joy and sorrow, weal and woe, light 
and darkness, and life and death seem 
strangely mingled together in this dark, 
perilous valley of probation." 

As we walked on together, my heart 
swelled with emotion that I will not 
attempt to describe, and, lo, three fe- 
males suddenly came from different 
directions and approached a young 
man who was just before us, and sa- 
luted him. I was much struck with 
their appearance, and wondered from 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 113 

whence they came, whither they were 
going, and what could be the object of 
their mission, for they seemed to have 
been sent with some special message. 

I observed that when he met them 
he was not at ease — -that he looked 
this way and that, as though he would 
fain flee away. I pitied the man, be- 
cause he seemed so unhappy, and I 
thought that I heard him say, " Is this 
a dream, or is it a reality? Is it pos- 
sible that some of you have come from 
the spirit- world to remind me of my 
mortality ?" 

There was a remarkable contrast 
between the females, and as I wonder- 
ed what it could possibly mean, and 
knew not how to account for it, my 
guide said, "These are representa- 
tives of three worlds.'' One of them 
was clothed in a robe of pure white, of 
10* 



114 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

exquisite beauty and matchless per- 
fection. Her face seemed to be glory- 
personified. She pointed to heaven 
and said, " My son, will you fol- 
low me ?" And alas ! how did my 
heart throb and seem ready to burst 
when he shook his head, for I then un- 
derstood his character in a moment, 
and knew that he was in fearful peril. 
"Then must you follow me," exclaim- 
ed another of the females, whose ap- 
parel looked like rags dipped in ink, 
and whose face seemed to bear marks 
emblematical of the death of deaths ; 
and she turned toward the gulph. To 
this declaration he made no reply, but 
appeared unhappy, and I heard a voice 
from heaven, saying, 6i If they hear not 
Moses and the prophets, neither will 
they be persuaded though one rose 
from the dead." 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 115 

Then I noticed that the other female 
who was clothed with a checkered 
garment, which indicated, as I thought, 
that she still belonged to earth, seemed 
anxious to shake off her impressions, 
and she said, " Brother, let us go ;" and 
they all went on together. 

But they soon came to a little rill, 
and here they all stopped. The fe- 
male who wore the beautiful robe 
again addressed the young man, with 
great earnestness and awful emphasis. 
"Poor man! Deluded, ruined man! 
How sad and wretched will be thy 
latter end. Down, down into that 
eternal furnace of fire and smoke wilt 
thou sink forever ! In that deep abyss, 
whose boundless vortex no lightning's 
flash can ever span, wilt thou mourn 
without hope, and cry without relief, 
and suffer without end ! And now, O 



116 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

man, I call heaven and earth to wit- 
ness, that I have warned thee of com- 
ing wrath — that destruction certain, 
terrible, and eternal will surely be thy 
doom, unless thou dost quickly turn." 

She then drew still nearer, as though 
to give him a parting kiss, and drop- 
ped upon his cheek, a tear. He tried 
to wipe it off, but it left a stain. " You 
can't do it !" said she. He tried again, 
and again she said, " You can't do it !" 
He dipped it seven times in the rill ; 
" No, no, you can never do it," said the 
female. " That spot is my witness 
which shall testify for me at our next 
meeting, that I have warned you of 
approaching danger." So saying, she 
rose to heaven, and I heard a loud 
voice saying, u He heard the sound 
of the trumpet, and took not warning ; 
his blood shall be upon him." 



THE SPLIUT-WORLD. 117 

Although this strange meeting well 
nigh sunk me to the earth, yet there 
was one circumstance which to me 
was very gratifying. The faithful 
warning which the female addressed 
to the man before her ascension, had a 
happy effect upon the female in check- 
ered attire, for, said she, "I will walk 
with the wicked no farther ;" and she 
hurried away out of their sight as hard 
as she could run, while a sweet voice 
in the distance proclaimed, " She has 
chosen that good part which shall not 
be taken away from her." 

But the man walked on with the fe- 
male who was clothed in the dark, 
shabby garment, and with as much in- 
difference as though nothing had hap- 
pened, crying, " Peace, peace ;" and I 
turned to my guide and said, Stranger, 
there is no hope for that poor man. 



118 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

He looked solemn, and said, " Very 
little." 

As I turned from the stranger to 
take another look at the pitiable ob- 
jects, behold, the woman had disap- 
peared, and the man seemed to be en- 
veloped in gross darkness, struggling 
to make his way through, and over 
numerous obstacles, without knowing 
where the next step would land him. 
At length he fell. An individual, whose 
face bore strong marks of benevolence, 
drew near and kindly lifted him up, 
and handed him a bright shining lamp 
to guide him through the wilderness, 
which he instantly dashed to the earth, 
and with a loud and boisterous voice 
said, " Who sent you here to meddle 
with my affairs ? Who told you that 
I wanted any of your assistance?" 

Can it be possible, said I, to the stran- 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 119 

ger, that this wretched man will ever 
receive another offer ? 

" O, yes," said he, i( and thou shalt 
. witness it, for his end is near ; and may 
the good Spirit deliver us from such a 
doom. But what he does, that he will 
do. Come, I will show you his end ;" 
and he hurried me over a vast plain 
until we came to the foot of a moun- 
tain, where we halted to make obser- 
vations. But I begged the stranger to 
go on, for, although, I hardly knew 
why, I felt anxious to climb the hill, 
and as we drew near the top, I saw 
that it was brilliantly illuminated, and 
was more beautiful than any other 
spot that I had ever seen ; and as the 
light did not resemble the light of the 
sun, or the moon, or any artificial light, 
I looked for the source of the be?.uti- 
ful rays, and Jo, heaven was open and 



120 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

pouring down upon the mountain-top, 
a flood of such glorious effulgence as 
mortals never behold. 

In the centre of this illuminated 
spot stood a ladder, and it reached up 
to heaven, upon which many shining 
ones were constantly ascending, who 
seemed to shine brighter and brighter 
as they went up higher and higher, 
beckoning to all around to follow, and 
sending up their thanksgivings for 
every addition to their number. 

Beyond the circumference of this il- 
luminated circle, the darkness became 
dreadful, except during brief intervals, 
when the faint and frequent flashes of 
distant lightning indicated an ap- 
proaching storm. Hence I said to my 
guide, Let us tarry here, until permit- 
ted to ascend the ladder to leave all 
the darkness and wretchedness behind. 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 121 

Whom should I now see standing 
near the foot of the ladder, but the 
wretched rejector of Heaven's offers, 
for whom I had before given up all 
hope. He seemed to be musing upon 
some purpose of heart, but finally lift- 
ed his eyes to heaven, and saints and 
angels came forth with smiling faces, 
and stood around the top of the ladder, 
and beckoned him to ascend. 

But he shook his head, and would 
not take the first step ! Then came 
forth the beautiful female that I had 
before seen in my dream, and she 
pointed to the spot on his face, and a 
bright flash of lightning quickly fol- 
lowed; and when he saw that all gazed 
at the dark mark, he instantly covered 
it up. But the guilty hand seemed to 
become transparent, and when he saw 
that he could not hide it, he went a 
11 



122 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

little way and sat down on the sand, 
and looked out upon the thick darkness, 
as though he had more affinity for 
that, than for the light of heaven, or 
because he thought that in the region 
of darkness, was the only place where 
he could hide the evidence of his guilt. 

Then, a terrible flash of lightning 
and thunder that shook the mountain, 
started him to his feet, and he walked 
up to the foot of the ladder, and looked 
up once more into heaven, and there 
came forth one, " fairer than all the 
sons of men," and offered him a crown 
of everlasting glory if he would con- 
fess his sins, and ascend the ladder. 

The lightning, thunder and tempest 
paused, and all heaven waited for his 
decision. Every eye was fixed upon 
him ; every ear was open, and every 
tongue was still ; and such a moment 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 123 

of awful solemnity — such a sense of 
my own unworthiness — and such a 
presentiment of coming wrath, I had 
never known. 

In sullen silence he received heaven's 
last overture — heard heaven's last in- 
vitation, and saw heaven's last shining 
light, and then lifted up his hand to- 
ward him who had done so much to 
save him, and with the spirit of a de- 
mon said, " Away with him /" And with 
a look of unutterable pity, that insult- 
ed, rejected Saviour replied, "You shall 
die in your sins, and where I am you 
can never come." 

The door of heaven was shut, and 
darkness thick and frightful followed, 
the tempest raged, the lightning flash- 
ed, the thunder roared, the mountain 
trembled, and in the midst of a dole- 
ful lamentation, the earth opened and 



124 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

swallowed him up, and with horrible 
emotions I awoke, feeling that if your 
doctrine was true, my condition was 
fearful. But it was only a dream. 

B. Yes, it was a dream, but pray 
God that it may not be in vain. I 
once had similar dreams myself, such 
as I never could forget. If the All-wise 
and ever-present spirit of the eternal 
God, brings into the mind of man, a 
serious thought during the hours of 
repose, which the man afterwards re- 
calls, he is under solemn obligation to 
improve it. That this is sometimes 
the case, there is not a doubt. 

S. But what evidence have you of 
this ? What is the voice of inspira- 
tion on this subject ? 

B. " For God speaketh once, yea, 
twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a 
dream, in a vision of the night, when 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 125 

deep sleep falleth upon men, in slum- 
berings upon the bed ; then he openeth 
the ears of men, and sealeth their in- 
struction, that he may withdraw man 
from his purpose, and hide pride from 
man. He keepeth back his soul from 
the pit." I have been much interest- 
ed in hearing your dream, and proba- 
bly we shall find in the Spirit-world 
that it embraced more solemn and 
alarming truth, than you now wish to 
believe. At our next interview, which 
I hope will be soon, we will further 
consider the subject of our future well 
being. 



10* 



CHAPTER VI. 

B. Good morning, Mr. S. I am 
happy to meet you once more, while 
you are a " prisoner of hope." 

S. A prisoner of hope ! I never ex- 
pect to be any thing else. But, ac- 
cording to your theory, I suppose that 
you would have me shut up in des- 
pair. 

B. Nay, my friend, I would have you 
cheat Satan out of at least one victim. 
I did indeed express a fear that eternal 
death might be your portion, and I 
know not that you have yet made the 
least effort to avert such a doom. Re- 
member the end of the caviler. 

& Now, I do not wish to hear any- 
thing about that, for it makes me ter- 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 127 

ribly uncomfortable. I have been try- 
ing hard to banish it altogether from 
my mind. 

B. You never can, neither in this 
world, neither in the world to come. 
It will ever be like the dark and inef- 
faceable spot on the man's cheek. 
"God has spoken once, yea, twice," 
hearken to his voice, and if you are 
honest in saying that you never expect 
to be any thing but a prisoner of hope, 
remember that he says, " The expecta- 
tion of the wicked shall perish." And 
again, " The hope of the unjust perish- 
eth." What worse thing can come 
upon us, than to have all hope perish ? 
This looks as if there would come a 
time when the wicked shall experience 
the same doom, as did those ruined in- 
dividuals who cried out, " Silly man," 
" priestcraft," " time enough yet." 



128 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

S. I should like to know what you 
would have me to do. 

B. Why, simply give up your false 
hopes, forsake your false refuges, shun 
false teachers, and renounce false 
creeds, and then with an honest heart, 
and humble spirit, "receive the in- 
grafted word which is able to save 
your soul." Now, without this act, 
have you any reason to believe that 
you or any other man will ever know 
what it is to ascend that ladder, and 
enter into that uncreated light and 
glory, of which you had a glimpse in 
your dream ? Or do you still cling to 
your former refuge, and fancy that 
you have sufficient evidence to prove 
the final salvation of all men — such 
evidence as satisfies conscience ? 

S. Conscience ! 

B. Yes, conscience. 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 129 

S. Whose conscience? 

B. Your conscience. 

S. Of course I have such proof as 
ought to satisfy every reasonable man's 
conscience, for it is so clearly revealed 
that it is absurd to doubt. 

B. Revealed where ? 

& In the Bible, of course. Where 
else would you find such a glorious 
doctrine brought to light? 

B. I think you will find it any where 
else rather than there. 

& What ! do you say that my Bible 
does not reveal such a sentiment ? 

B. I say that mine does not. 

S. I am not responsible for the im- 
perfections of your Bible, and if it 
leads you astray, I can only pity you, 
and give you fair warning that I am 
not accountable for its influence. 

B. Well, neighbor, Bibles generally 



130 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

agree better than men, and, perhaps, 
the good book which you profess to 
receive as a revelation from Heaven, 
is like mine, after all. And first, let 
us have some of the strong testimony 
which your Bible contains, in favor of 
the doctrine which you know to be 
false, for, if I mistake not, I shall not 
find it necessary to resort to mine, to 
expose this fundamental error, into 
which Satan is trying to plunge you 
to your destruction. 

S. Let the following truth speak for 
itself. " For God so loved the world, 
that he gave his only begotten Son, that 
whosoever believeth in him, should not 
perish, but have everlasting life." 
What say you to this. 

B. A blessed and glorious doctrine, 
and set forth precisely as it stands re- 
recorded in the first copy of holy writ. 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 131 

that I ever possessed. Was it not for 
this announcement, I should be of all 
men the most miserable. This is the 
foundation of the Christian's hope, 
and — 

S. Yes, I thought this would straight- 
en out your orthodoxy a little. I con- 
cluded that you would find my Bible 
not so destitute of strong proof as you 
supposed. 

B. Not quite so fast, if you please. 
Don't you see that you are taking 
down testimony for your opponent? 
A few more such passages would make 
the devil abandon you as a hopeless 
subject, to announce among fallen 
spirits his utter failure. This blessed 
revelation, is not only the foundation 
of the Christian's hope, but an affect- 
ing pledge of the future and everlast- 
ing destruction of the wicked. 



132 THE SriRIT-WORLD. 

S. Oh, how full of unbelief ! I was 
going to say that you would perish 
for want of faith. 

B. Well, when a man knows that 
he is in an error, it is pretty hard work 
to avoid betraying his struggling con- 
science, and as the principle is written 
in your heart, no wonder that you ex- 
press it. 

$. If God loved Adam's race so 
much as to give his only Son to die 
for the whole world, will not all be 
benefited. 

B. He no where intimates any such 
thing, and what right have you to ex- 
tend the benefit to those who will not 
accept it ? If a man should spread his 
table with ample provision for all the 
hungry poor in town, and invite them 
to come and partake, without money 
and without price, could those claim 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 133 

or expect any benefit who refuse to 
attend ? 

S. Of course not. 

B. True, they would receive the be- 
nefit of an invitation, and merit the 
displeasure of the master of the feast, 
and the disgrace of foolishly spurning 
a kind offer, So, the provision which 
is made for men in the gospel, greatly 
benefits those who accept it, and ren- 
ders far more intolerable the condition 
of those who reject it. 

S. How do you know that any will 
refuse to come to the gospel feast, and 
consequently perish ? 

B. Because, He that spake as never 
man spake, said so, and isn't that 
enough ? He has settled the question 
both for this world and the world to 
came — that many refuse to come while 
the door is open, and actually make 
12 



134 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

application after the door is shut. " Ye 
will not come unto me that ye might 
have life." " Strive to enter into the 
strait gate, for many I say unto you 
will seek to enter in, and shall not be 
able, when once the master of the 
house is risen up and hath shut to the 
door, and ye begin to stand without 
and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, 
Lord, open unto us ; and he shall an- 
swer and say unto you, I know you 
not whence ye are, depart from m? 
all ye workers of iniquity." 

But to return to the text that you 
quoted. Suppose that in traveling 
through a strange country, I should 
ask a man by the way-side, how long 
it would probably take me to reach 
a certain town, and he should say, 
"One hour, if you take the right road? 
Should I need any to tell me that there 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 135 

was a wrong road ? If I believed the 
stranger, I should be perfectly satis- 
fied that there was a right and a wrong 
way. 

So when the Bible, or rather its 
author, said, " that whosoever believ- 
eth in him, should not perish," took it 
for granted that all understood perfect- 
ly well, that whosoever does not be- 
lieve in him shall not escape. And 
if our gracious Redeemer when he 
uttered these words, did not intend to 
be so understood, he ought to have 
said, God so loved the world, that He 
gave his only begotten Son, that all 
might have eternal life, whether they 
believe in Him or not. 

But what said he on another occa- 
sion ? " He that believeth not, shall 
be damned." Now do you suppose 
that the Great Teacher thought that 



136 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

his wandering children would recog- 
nize him as an advocate of the same 
doctrine which the devil taught four 
thousand years before in the garden ? 

S. What doctrine ? 

B. Why, the doctrine of irresponsi- 
bility. " Hath God said, ye shall not 
eat of every tree of the garden." That 
you shall be held responsible for every 
disobedience ? It is not true, and God 
knows it. " Ye shall not surely die." 
Now friend, as you have received 
your articles of faith from the mouth 
of him who " is a liar, and the father 
of it," had you not better renounce it, 
and adopt the creed of a better teacher, 
and seriously ask yourself the question 
whether those who will not believe in, 
nor accept of the meek and lowly Sa- 
viour as " the chiefest among ten thou- 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 137 

sand, and the one altogether lovely," 
ought not to perish. 

5. All men do undoubtedly believe 
in Christ, as far as they have any 
knowledge of him. 

B. Far from it ! Not only do the 
tribes of Israel almost to a man, pro- 
fessedly disbelieve in him, and practi- 
cally reject him, and at this very mo- 
ment have the vail of unbelief upon 
their hearts ; but thousands who are 
nominally Christians, are equally des- 
titute of saving faith, and I fear that 
you are among the number. 

& What ! do you mean to insult me 
by calling me an infidel? 

B. No, friend, I do not intend any 
such thing. I simply wish you to Iook 
at the subject in the right light. Pre- 
suming you to be honest in supposing 
that you are not an unbeliever, I beg 
12* 



138 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

leave to ask you what it is to believe 
in Christ ? 

S. Why, I suppose it is simply to 
believe in the record given of him. 

B. Far more than this is necessary 
to salvation. "The devils also believe 
and tremble." But their faith, which 
is probably far more operative than 
yours, is not saving. 

S. I believe that Jesus Christ is Al- 
mighty in power, and all-perfect in 
love. 

B. So does Satan. 

S. I believe that he laid down his 
life on Calvary to atone for a guilty 
world. 

jB. Of this the devil never had a 
doubt. 

S. I believe that he was the great 
teacher sent from God ; that he went 
about doing good, and was put to 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 139 

death by wicked men; that he rose 
from the dead, and ascended up on 
high, to make intercession for the chil- 
dren of men, where he ever liveth and 
reigneth King Eternal, the only medi- 
ator between God and man. 

B. All this the devils believe, and 
much more, and if thou dost not be- 
lieve more, thy faith will be " found 
wanting," when thou art weighed in 
the balance. 

$. Well, I know not what else you 
would have me believe. 

JS. It is not only necessary that you 
should believe in the record which is 
given of the Saviour, but it is equally 
necessary for you to believe in the re- 
cord given of yourself. Do you be- 
lieve that you are a poor, guilty, defiled, 
undone sinner, " dead in trespasses and 
sins," and exposed to the wrath of an 



140 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

offended Judge, with nothing to re- 
commend you to his favorable notice, 
and hopelessly and eternally lost with- 
out the interposing grace and mercy 
of God in Christ your Redeemer ? 

S. I am not aware that I have done 
anything which is so very bad. I have 
no particular distress on account of 
my sins. I do not feel that I am lost, 
neither do I wish to believe such a 
doctrine ; and if this is Christian faith, 
then I must confess that I am an un- 
believer, for I should hardly have a 
doubt of the positive and certain sal- 
vation of every soul of Adam's race, if 
it had not been for that foolish dream, 
the cause of which I have already 
mentioned, and from the effects of 
which I have not fully recovered. But 
the weakness of that hour is no cri- 
terion. 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 141 

B. No, we have a far better stand- 
ard than dreams and visions, and if 
you would receive it with as little ca- 
viling, and as much confidence, as 
your judgment dictated on that occa- 
sion, and as conscience does still, you 
would soon learn both the simplicity 
and power of faith at the foot of the 
cross. 

S. Well, I do not feel that I am in 
such peril as you describe, or as fancy 
pictured in my dream. 

B. So I supposed, and hence I made 
the remark which appeared to you 
somewhat uncharitable. But it seems 
that it was nevertheless true. Only in 
proportion to your belief that you are 
a poor lost sinner, can you believe in 
a needed Saviour. The holy angels 
believe in Christ as the Saviour of lost 
men, but they can never believe in him 



142 THE SPIRIT-WORLD, 

as their Saviour, nor can their faith 
though never so sincere, ever prove 
saving, for they are not lost. 

The devils in hell, can, and do be- 
lieve in Jesus Christ as the Saviour of 
all who sincerely repent and believe, 
but they can never believe in him as 
the Saviour of angels or devils, hence 
their faith too, is of no avail. 

So you may believe that Jesus Christ 
is divine — the Father's co-equal Son — 
that he was made flesh and lived and 
labored on the earth — suffered on the 
cross — slept in the grave, and in three 
days triumphed over the bars of death 
— in short, believe all that is recorded 
of him, and still more, and yet you will 
have no more saving faith than a rock 
until you have such a sense of your 
lost and undone condition, as shall 
constrain you, in the simplicity and 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 143 

sincerity of a little child, to cry out, 
" Lord save or I perish." 

S. But did not Christ say, the Son 
of man is come to save that which was 
lost? 

B. Yes, and blessed be his glorious 
name for such a revelation. Who can 
comprehend what would have been our 
condition if he had not come on such 
a mission ? And who can describe the 
augmented guilt and misery of those 
who now, under the full blaze of the 
gospel, spurn the sacrifice and reject 
the provision made for their redemp- 
tion? 

S. Well, now I think we are coming 
to the point. If he came expressly 
from heaven to earth to perform such 
a redeeming work, shall his mission 
prove a failure? Has he not love 
enough, and skill enough, and power 



144 THE SPIRIT" WORLD. 

enough to do all that he intended, and 
all that he promised to do ?" 

B. 0, yes, there is nothing lacking 
on his part. But, remember, that he 
never intended or promised to save 
any against their will. For such 
as do not become his willing and 
obedient children, he has made no pro- 
vision but the bottomless gulph. True, 
the atonement which he made is suf- 
ficient for all the countless millions 
who avail themselves of its benefit, 
from the beginning of the world to the 
end of time. But not sufficient for a 
single man who says, "Away with 
him ;" " I will not have this man to 
reign over me," and maintains his op- 
position through life. 

Moreover, the Saviour, with this 
distinctly in view, uttered those touch- 
ing words, which ought to settle the 



THE SPrRIT-WORLD. 145 

question at once in the mind of every 
man, " O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou 
that killest the prophets and stonest 
them that are sent unto thee, how often 
would I have gathered thy children to- 
gether as a hen doth gather her chick- 
ens under her wings, and ye would 
not !" " O that thou hadst known, 
even thou, at least in this thy day, the 
things which belong to thy peace, but 
now they are hid from thine eyes!" 
On this point, the Scriptures are very 
plain and the testimony very abun- 
dant. 

S. Well, as I have duties to attend 
to, I must beg leave to be excused 
from further discussing this subject on 
the present occasion, and perhaps this 
unexpected debate had better be closed 
altogether, for I fear that no good will 
come of it, though I would not wish to 
13 



146 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

conclude it abruptly, for I must confess 
that some of your reasoning has rather 
interested me. 

B. I think that we have reason to 
fear no harm, and I cherish the hope 
that you will yet listen to that voice 
which says, " This is the way, walk ye 
in it ;" and in the meantime, I shall 
remember you before the throne of 
grace. 

S. But why this gratuitous service ? 
I have asked no man to pray for me. 

B. This does not in the least dimin- 
ish my obligation to obey a sacred 
command. 

S. What command ? Who told you 
to pray for me at this particular time? 

B. He who has an ear to hear, and 
power to save. 

S. Show me your authority, and I 
will surely acquiesce. 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 147 

B. 1 have authority which includes 
all men, all time, and every place. 
fc 'Pray without ceasing" — this em- 
braces the time. " I will therefore 
that men pray everywhere," and this 
embraces the place. u I exhort, there- 
fore, that first of all, supplications, 
prayers, intercessions, and giving of 
thanks, be made for all men," and this 
certainly embraces any and every man. 

S. Well, I believe that you are right, 
after all, and surely I have no objec- 
tion to your obeying the injunction, for 
I hope that all things may turn out 
well with us in the spirit- world. 



CHAPTER VII. 

B. How do you do, friend S. ; walk 
in, I am glad to see you once more 
among the living. We are somewhat 
nearer to the spirit- world, than when 
we last met, and I hope somewhat bet- 
ter prepared to launch our bark upon 
the great ocean of eternity. 

S. I know not how it may be with 
you. But with myself, nothing seems 
to be as I would have it. 

B. Well, is it as the Lord would 
have it ? 

S. 1 fear not. 

B. Can't you improve it ? 

S. Perhaps I might, a little, if I 
should try; and possibly I should make 
it worse. 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 149 

B. There is very little danger of 
that, if you look to the right source for 
help. But what is the difficulty ? Do 
you begin to be dissatisfied with your 
hopes and prospects for a future state ? 
Is your confidence in the doctrine of 
universal salvation, a little shaken ? 

S. Not a little, I might say, if I had 
ever had much. The truth is, I was 
always afraid that it was one of Sa- 
tan's traps. I would have gladly be- 
lieved it if I could, for I wanted to feel 
that all was safe. But I found there 
was no use in trying it any longer. 

B. What brought }~ou to the con- 
clusion of renouncing, like an honest 
man, this false doctrine ? 

S. A variety of incidents have con- 
spired to this result. I need not men- 
tion them all. A little daughter, a 
darling sweet child, whom I loved 
12* 



150 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

dearly, and grieved much, by taking 
her out of the Sabbath School, after 
she had apparently become more at- 
tached to it, than to her daily meals, 
had no little influence in bringing me 
to the sober determination to strive no 
longer to believe a lie. 

" Father, dear, let me go to the Sab- 
bath School a little longer," said she, 
one Sunday morning, with tears in her 
eyes, which well nigh melted my heart. 
But I had set down my foot, and so I 
said No, never, never ! As long as you 
live, step not into that school again, to 
learn priestcraft and nonsense. 

" O no, father, we do not learn non- 
sense there," said she, with a trem- 
bling tongue. "We study the good 
word of the Lord, and I love to hear 
the teachers talk about Jesus, and 
good men, and angels, and heaven ; 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 151 

and I love to hear them talk to the 
children, and tell them what they must 
do to go to heaven where Christ and 
all good people, and good angels live ; 
and I love to hear them pray with the 
children, and sing with the children ; 
for they love the children, and the 
children love them. I am a great deal 
more happy since I went to the Sab- 
bath School than I was before. But I 
should be happier still, if I could go 
again." 

Conscience lashed me most severely 
for depriving my pet of an enjoyment 
so perfectly reasonable, to say the 
least. But I saw that I could never 
endure, in my present state, her influ- 
ence, if she continued under such in- 
struction, neither could I refute her 
arguments, though presented in artless 
simplicity. 



152 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

"Father, was Jesus Christ a teachei 
sent from God ?" said she, on a certain 
occasion, after a season of apparent 
meditation. 

Yes, my child, said I; he was the 
best of teachers. He taught both by 
precept and example. Don't you re- 
member that it is said of him, that 
man never spake like him ? 

" Yes, father dear, I learned that, at 
the Sabbath School, and I wish you 
had let me stayed there longer, to learn 
more about the Saviour. It wouldn't 
have done any hurt, would it ? But 
I was going to ask, if you thought 
that he intended his teaching for little 
children, and expected that they could 
understand what he said." 

To be sure he did. Have you never 
heard that he said, that the way 
which he had marked out was so 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 153 

il plain that a wayfaring man, though 
a fool, need not err therein ?" And on 
another occasion, that he had "hid 
these things from the wise and pru- 
dent, and revealed them unto babes ?" 
* " Yes, father, I remember something 
about this. But what does it mean ? 
Why did he hide these things from the 
wise and prudent V 9 

I suppose he meant those who were 
wise in their own eyes — too wise to 
acknowledge their need of instruction 
from him, while little children heark- 
ened to his voice, and understood his 
words. I know not what else he meant, 
my child. 

" You know, father dear, that a child 
cannot understand a man, unless he 
means what he says. And how can I 
understand the blessed Saviour, if he 
says one thing and means another ?" 



154 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

O, my child, he don't deal with his 
children in that way. He never leads 
his dependent creatures astray. 

* I hope not. Father, he says the 
wicked shall go away into everlasting 
punishment, but the righteous into life 
eternal. Now, if these solemn words 
mean what they say, I can understand 
them. If they mean any thing else, I 
cannot, and I don't see how any one, 
old or young, can ever know that he 
has given them the right meaning. 
Father, you said to a gentleman the 
other day, that Jesus Christ did not mean 
that the wicked should go away into 
everlasting punishment. But how do 
you know that ? Has he said that he did 
not mean so ? I am afraid, dear father, 
that Jesus will never be pleased with 
you, for trying to make him say what 
he did not say ; and for trying to make 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 155 

his words mean what they do not 
mean ?" 

This troubled me not a little, as 
you must know, and I turned it off as 
well as I could ; but she continued, 
" I read in the Bible the other day, of 
a great gulf, and as Jesus himself said, 
that it was fixed between the righ- 
teous and the wicked, in the other 
world, and that none there could 
get over it, I thought that he would 
be displeased with you for saying that 
no such gulf as he had pointed out, 
was there, and I felt badly, and I asked 
the Lord Jesus if he would not help 
you to understand the Bible, just as 
little children understand it. Father, 
I am really afraid that he is now hid- 
ing these things from the wise and 
prudent? Don't you think so? Tt 
makes me unhappy to think of it." 



156 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

Folly, my daughter, said I. Where 
did you get such foolish notions ? I 
thought you said that it made you 
happy to go to the Sabbath School ; 
but I think that you have learned there 
how to become unhappy. 

" Well, father, would it make you 
miserable to know that I was in great 
danger of being burned up in this house 
this very night ?" said she. 

Of course it would, exceedingly so, 
said I. 

" Would you then prefer to be ig- 
norant of my danger, that you might 
be the more happy ?" said she. 

What ails you, my child, said I, that 
you ask such strange questions ? Do 
you not think that I would wish to 
know the worst of your case, so long 
as there was the least hope of prevent- 
ing such a calamity ? 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 157 

" Yes, father dear," said she, " and 
though it makes me unhappy, yet I 
wish to know the worst of yours, while 
there remains the least prospect of 
saving you from the flames which shall 
never be quenched. But remember 
that Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, 
said himself, that " he that entereth 
not by the door into the sheepfold, but 
climbeth up some other way, the same 
is a thief and a robber." Now, ever 
since you began to talk so much with 
men when they come here, about 
everybody's going to heaven, I could 
not help fearing that you were trying 
to climb up some other way. Father, 
it is easy for me to believe in Jesus, 
and it makes me happy. Is it not just 
as easy for you to believe that he 
means what he says? I think you 
13 



158 THE SPIRIT WORLD. 

will find it hard work to make him be- 
lieve that he means anything else." 

When she uttered these words, a 
dreadful struggle between conscience 
and self-will began. I not only re- 
gretted that I had ever sent her to the 
Sabbath School, but also regretted that 
I had ever taken her away. 

But still I remained inflexible, giving 
no consent for her to return ; and to 
lull conscience to sleep, I went the suc- 
ceeding sabbath to hear a universalist 
expound the law, and tell the congre- 
gation about the numerous and grave 
mistakes of Christ and his inspired 
apostles ; at least one could infer no- 
thing else from his argument, and I 
noticed that many seemed to be greatly 
pleased with the new doctrine ; and no 
wonder, for men naturally dislike re- 
straint, and hate responsibility. 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 159 

The teacher went on to show the 
sagacity of one of the disciples, the 
substance of which was as follows. 
The Saviour, a little while before he 
was betrayed, had told Judas that it 
were better for him that he had never 
been born. This, the preacher ad- 
mitted. But Judas, being a universal- 
ist, perhaps, was not altogether pleased 
with the charge, and afterward went 
and dashed down the thirty pieces of sil- 
ver, and to get satisfaction hung himself, 
to let the world know how much soon- 
er he could go to Heaven from the gal- 
lows, according to his creed, than the 
Saviour could from the cross. 

I not only saw the absurdity of the 
doctrine, which must lead to this very 
conclusion, if believed, but I had long 
noticed that those who professed the 
strongest measure of faith in this creed 



160 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

apparently had the least conscience, 
and could curse and swear the most. 

B. Ah ! yes, I have known by ex- 
perience, a little about the effects of 
such faith. When I was a stripling, 
1 was foolish enough to advocate this 
doctrine, and I suppose succeeded far 
better in satisfying others of my sin- 
cerity, than myself. I then talked just 
as you did when we first met, and pro- 
bably felt very much as you did : and 
I suppose exhibited the same kind of 
works. But during this time, I often 
thought of the passage where it is 
written, "He shall save his people 
from their sins," and conscience, not 
being easily bribed or silenced, would 
always tell me that according to this 
rule, I certainly could not be one of 
his people. 

S. It happened that I overtook the 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 161 

parson the next day as he was walk- 
ing with one of his congregation who 
was notoriously intemperate, and as I 
felt that he had not cleared up the 
doctrine to my satisfaction, I followed 
along a little behind, listening to the 
conversation between them, as they 
happened to be conversing upon their 
favorite creed ; and at length they 
went into a public house where I follow- 
ed, and we all sat down in the bar- 
room, and the man at once called for 
a drink, and then resumed the conver- 
sation. 

" You know, sir," said he, " that I 
was taught to believe that no drunk- 
ard should ever inherit the kingdom of 
God, and I suppose that you can tell 
me whether I ought to believe such 
a doctrine or not." 

"You know," said the teacher, "that 
13* 



162 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

I preach that men ought to live sober, 
righteous, and godly lives in this pre- 
sent evil world." 

a yes," said the man, " nothing less 
could be called preaching. They ought 
so to live, but, suppose they do not. 
What then ? Is there a place in the 
kingdom of heaven for those who now 
and then take a little too much rum ?" 

" Most assuredly there is," said he, 
" for the Lord Jesus Christ tasted death 
for every man ; and he said to those 
who surrounded him a little before he 
left the earth, ' I go to prepare a place 
for you.' " 

" But did he not say this to his own 
disciples," said the inebriate. 

" Well, I suppose he did," said he, 
" but he said, ' In my father's house are 
many mansions, 5 and I think there is 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 163 

some place there for those who gratify 
their appetite a little too freely here." 

" Thank you, sir," said he, " this is 
just the news for me. Landlord let us 
have another drink." 

* But remember," said the preacher 
of smooth things, — who began to feel 
a little uncomfortable, " if you continue 
to drink to excess, that it will cost you 
much — that you will be the sufferer." 

" What will it cost me to drink as 
much as I please ?" 

"A bloated face, a trembling hand? 
a ruined character, a broken hearted 
wife, starving children, and a prema- 
ture grave." 

"0, that's nothing, I shall only get 
to heaven all the sooner," said he, with 
a triumphant emphasis. 

By this time, the preacher began to 
manifest a disposition to get clear of 



J 64 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

his companions who had gathered 
around him. A shrewd looking man 
whom the preacher evidently suspect- 
ed of skepticism, said, " Sir, there is a 
set of men in the world who teach 
that ' the wicked shall be turned into 
hell and all the nations that forget 
God.' But I was much gratified to 
hear you say yesterday, that there was 
no hell but the grave ; and no burning 
gulph, but a bewildered imagination ; 
and no blackness of darkness but that 
which priestcraft has thrown over the 
immortal mind. I observed that the 
doctrine which you advocated, gave 
great satisfaction to the audience, and 
I exclaimed to myself almost involun- 
tarily, Poor souls ! what should we do, 
if it was not for this good news which 
we hear to-day. But, after all, does 
not this doctrine license men to sin ?" 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 165 

" Not at all," said the suspicious 
preacher. " Where did you ever hear 
of a preacher of this faith, who did not 
advocate the importance of living an 
honest, upright, blameless life ?" 

" It would be singular preaching in- 
deed," said he, " if he advocated any- 
thing less. But suppose his hearers do 
not see fit to practice his precepts, 
what then ? What if half of his con- 
gregation should turn robbers, and cut 
the throats of the other half? Is there 
any penalty for transgression?" 

" Certainly there is." 

"What is it?" 

" If a man does not do unto others 
as he would have them do unto him, 
he must of course expect to suffer." 

" Suffer where and when ?" 

" Why, more or less through a long 



166 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

life, according to the nature of the 
offence." 

" Do you mean to say that all his 
sufferings terminate in death ?" 

" I think they do. Would you like 
to suffer longer ?" 

" That has nothing to do with it. It 
is true that I would not like to suffer 
at all. But a violated law does not 
ask the criminal how long he would 
like to suffer for his crime. It is not the 
transgressor's province to modify the 
penalty. Now I covet a large sum of 
money which my near neighbor has in 
his possession, and I am determined 
to obtain it, if I have to get it by un- 
lawful means. What will it cost ?" 

H It will cost you a guilty conscience, 
sleepless nights, and the ill-will of 
that neighbor." 

" I am willing to pay this price, and 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 107 

as you have found out that forever 
means only * three days,' I shall carry 
out my intention, though it will proba- 
bly cost a little blood ; and it gives me 
great satisfaction to know that for 
this I need not fear any future retribu- 
tion, or" — 

" Hold, friend ! Can it be possible 
that you understood me to say that 
you were at liberty to take the life of 
your neighbor ?" 

" Not in so many words. But there 
can be no objection to it. According 
to your doctrine, the greatest possible 
amount of happiness will inevitably 
follow its consummation. To carry 
out my plan to the accomplishment of 
my darling object, I suppose it may 
be necessary for me to put aside one 
of my neighbors ; but I think that the 
more I kill, the better, if heaven is a 



168 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

better place than earth ; and I should 
at the same time find in my success, a 
heaven upon earth ; and should I be 
arrested, and even found guilty, you 
know our Judge is a man of too much 
sense to condemn me. O, no, he would 
never do that, but would rather spare 
so useful a citizen to perform the same 
kind office for others. Moreover, if I 
should happen to fall into the hands of 
a Judge of a little less liberal faith, 
who should pass sentence of death up- 
on me, and execute it, don't you see that 
I should go to heaven all the sooner 
for it ? What a glorious doctrine this 
is ! But don't you think that it is go- 
ing to heaven a little too easy ? I am 
afraid that we shall find a good many 
hard customers there." 

" I never advocated any such doc- 
trine as this." 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 169 

" Yes you did, exactly such a doc- 
trine, only you had a little mask on, 
while preaching. But, every body 
could see through it, as well as through 
an open door. And if you are unwil- 
ling to admit it, answer me one ques 
tion. Does the impenitent murderer 
go to heaven or hell, when he dies ?" 

At this moment some of the bystand- 
ers (for there were several of the same 
faith) were almost ready to gnash 
upon him with their teeth for presum- 
ing to thus call in question the teach- 
ing of him whose doctrine harmonized 
well with itching ears ; so that there was 
much more noise and confusion, than 
argument. But the champion, although 
evidently anxious to give up his seat 
to almost any body who would take 
it, yet doubtless thought it would 
hardly do to be vanquished by a man 
14 



170 THE SPJRIT-WORLD. 

of such humble pretensions, said, 
*' How do you know that the murderer, 
or any other one ever dies without re- 
pentance ?" 

" Because," said he, " the great 
teacher himself said to the Jews, on a 
certain occasion, that unless they be- 
lieved on him, they should die in their 
sins, and where he was, they should 
never come. They did not believe on 
him, but cried, ' Away with him.' 
Again he said, ' For I say unto you, 
that except your righteousness shall 
exceed the righteousness of the Scribes 
and Pharisees, ye shall in no case 
enter into the kingdom of heaven/ 
Now, without inquiring whether the 
murderer's righteousness exceeds the 
righteousness of the Scribes and Phari- 
sees, let me ask one question. Can 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 171 

you, as an honest man, say that yours 
exceeds it ?" 

" I cannot say," said the preacher, 
" how much righteousness they had," 

" Why," said the man, " you are the 
very one to know." ' Art thou a mas- 
ter of Israel, and knowest not these 
things V Don't you know that they 
were considered the most exemplary 
men of their day ? Don't you know 
that they were scrupulously moral — 
that they fasted twice in the week — 
paid tithes of all they possessed — 
strictly observed the Sabbath, and sa- 
cred festivals — that they fed the hun- 
gry, clothed the naked, and did many 
other good things ? And with all their 
good deeds, don't you know that the 
King Eternal, who looks right at the 
heart, and sees the end from the be- 
ginning, pronounced them unfit for the 



172 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

kingdom of heaven. Now, friend, 
your righteousness must not only be 
equal to, but it must actually exceed 
theirs, or all your preaching will be 
vain, and you will die in your sins, 
and have your portion with false 
teachers." 

This unexpected plain dealing, and 
charge upon the preacher, quite en- 
raged him ; so much so, that it was 
soon evident that he was less moral 
than even the Scribes and Pharisees, 
and I fully resolved in my own mind 
that I would do violence to conscience 
no longer, and hurried home as fast as 
I could. But as I approached my 
dwelling, the voice of prayer arrested 
my attention. I listened, and heard 
my darling child say, O, Jesus, thou 
son of David, have mercy on my dear, 
dying father, and help him to believe 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 173 

the truth ; and when I went in, I told 
her all that was in my heart, and she 
rejoiced, and gave thanks. 

B. Well, my dear friend, your daugh- 
ter might well rejoice, and give thanks, 
and it does my heart not a little good 
to learn that you have taken one step 
in the right path to the spirit-world. 
The first step is often the hardest of 
all. Having put your hand to the 
plough, I hope you will never look 
back. Your dear child, I trust, will 
soon be welcomed back to the Sab- 
bath School. 

$. Indeed, I shall rather encourage 
than prevent it, for I am confident that 
she knows what it is to believe and 
love the truth. 

B. I hope you will yet know, your- 
self, what it is to rejoice in that bless- 
edness which flows from a hearty ac- 
14* 



174 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

ceptance of Christ and his gospel. A 
foretaste of the abounding felicity of 
the spirit- world may be obtained here, 
by poor travelers like ourselves. 

S. I suppose it may. But I do not 
feel that my prospects for the spirit- 
world are any better than they were 
at our first interview, although I am 
determined to cling no longer to false 
refuges, if I know it. There are many 
things in the Bible that I do not seem 
to understand. 

B. If the Bible contained nothing 
but what finite minds could fully com- 
prehend, would you think that it was 
a book from the infinite, incomprehen- 
sible, and eternal Spirit. 

S. I suppose that it is reasonable 
for worms of the dust to expect to find 
mysteries in such a book. But I can- 
not understand how all can be judged 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 175 

according to their deeds, and yet all 
the wicked be condemned to the same 
place of punishment, and of the same 
duration. 

B. Perhaps a simple illustration may- 
assist your reflections a little. Sup- 
pose that the penalties for stealing, 
robbery, fraud, murder, &c, were, ac- 
cording to our statute laws, all impris- 
onment for life in the same prison, or 
upon some desolate island. And sup- 
pose that you were unfortunately 
among the number, and while drag- 
ging out a miserable existence, you 
should exclaim, " Oh ! that I had not 
defrauded my neighbor ! He dwelt se- 
curely by me, and had the utmost con- 
fidence in me. How could I have 
done such a deed. I wish I could for- 
get the base act, for it torments me 
day and night to think of it." " Ah ! 



17G THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

your punishment is nothing to mine," 
says another, " for I robbed a confiding 
friend of all his treasure, and it is im- 
possible for him to ever regain it." 
" Alas !" says the third, " all this is no- 
thing to my dreadful burden. I wickedly 
killed my brother." Now, can you not 
see that although imprisoned for life, 
and all in the same place, that their 
misery would not all be the same ? 

& O yes, I see it clear enough. We 
can't get rid of conscience. And con- 
science will neither accuse, or excuse 
us unjustly. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



B. Well, friend, as conscience is im- 
mortal, and as every moral act stamps 
it with an indelible impression, how 
vastly important is it that we should 
possess a conscience void of offence, 
while passing through this vale of 
tears, and snares, and woes. To do 
this, we must trust alone to the sus- 
taining grace of Jesus Christ. Those 
who fail to do this will not fail to find 
conscience worse than a barbed arrow 
in their inmost souls when they are 
introduced to the spirit-world. 

& It is sometimes like the worm 
that never dies, even in this world, for 
mine does nothing but accuse me con- 
tinually. 



178 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

B. And why, is this your experience ? 

S. Because I do not follow its die 
tates, I suppose you will say. 

B. Do you suppose that conscience 
would ever accuse or condemn you 
for giving up the sins and follies of 
the world, and for giving your heart 
and affections to Jesus Christ ? 

S. O no. I am fully assured that it 
would not. But how r can a poor help- 
less mortal do such a work ? It is al- 
most nothing at all that I could do, if 
I should try. 

B. It is very little that you can do, 
I admit, but your condition is none the 
worse for that. And if you could do 
as much as all the combined effort of 
angels and men can accomplish, it 
would be no better, for you would then 
be, as you are now, responsible for 
what you can do, and nothing more. 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 179 

And because you can do but a little, 
and because a very little is required of 
you, will you neglect to do that ? 

S. It appears very reasonable that 
every one should do his duty, do all 
that he can to make himself and others 
happy. Yet, after all, it seems to me 
that the Saviour, after doing and suf- 
fering so much to redeem the lost and 
wandering, will hardly suffer them to 
perish. 

B. Be not deceived. There is no 
such doctrine taught in the Bible. He 
has truly done a great work for man, 
blessed be his great and glorious name. 
And he now requires a very little on 
our part, and this is mainly to accept 
of what he offers, without money and 
without price. Suppose some individ- 
ual of immense resources should invite 
you to meet him midway between your 



180 THE SriRlT-WORLD. 

abode and his, that he might bestow 
upon you a vast treasure. Would you 
consider it a hardship to comply by 
walking a mile ? 

S. Certainly not. Under such cir- 
cumstances I should esteem it a privi- 
lege and a pleasure to walk the whole 
distance. 

B. But suppose you should do other- 
wise, and say, Well, if he is disposed to 
do so much for me, it is altogether un- 
necessary that I should move an inch ; 
for reason teaches me that his bene- 
volence will never suffer an interven- 
ing mile to frustrate his kind designs. 
Would not your refusal to comply, 
argue very conclusively that you spurn 
both the gift and the giver ? 

S. Of course it would, if such an 
unreasonable act were possible. And 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 181 

I should prove myself totally unworthy 
of his kind regard. 

B. An act more unreasonable, and 
fraught with infinitely greater peril, is 
perpetrated every day. Now, let me 
remind you, that He who holds the 
destinies of worlds in his hands, and in 
whom we live, and move, and have 
our being, invites us to draw near and 
accept from his hand the gift of eter- 
nal life. Now, will you accept of such 
a gift ? I am aware that you cannot 
fully comprehend its value, here. But, 
O, can you not realize something 
of the importance of its possession ! 
In the spirit- world, whether in weal or 
woe, you will need no one to remind 
you of the vastness and richness of the 
benefits of such a gift. The high and 
holy praises of heaven, and the deep 
16 



182 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

and doleful wailings of hell will be- 
speak it. 

& Alas ! friend, you remind me of 
what I saw in my dream, and it makes 
me almost shudder to think of the 
frightful end of those who trifled with 
eternal things. 

B. Then surely you will not imitate 
their example, therefore let me caution 
you against the danger ; for many 
trifle with their own immortal interests 
although they do not intend or suspect 
it. 

8. But there are so many kinds of 
religionists in the world, that I know 
not which to believe, for every one 
says that he is right. 

B. You mean there are so many 
counterfeits in the world. But these 
only prove that there is also a genuine 
religion. Shall I tell you how it hap- 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 183 

pens that there is so much false reli- 
gion among men ? 

S. If you please. 

2?. Simply because so few go to 
Jesus Christ for their religion. Those 
who apply to him, always obtain the 
pure form. He never gives any other. 
The quantity may vary, but the quali- 
ty is uniformly the same. There may 
be "diversity of gifts, but it is the same 
Spirit." Pure religion can be obtained 
no where else, and yet multitudes go 
anywhere and everywhere but to the 
Saviour of the world for their religion, 
even to the devil. 

$. But it will do no good to attempt 
to go to the Redeemer for any favor, 
unless we go aright. 

B. Well, why should you go in any 
other way ? 



184 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

5/ Indeed I would not. But can I go 
in my own strength ? 

JB. If you were to apply to any 
other source for help, in whose strength 
would you go ? From whom did you 
receive strength to arise from your 
bed this morning ? From whom do 
you expect to receive strength to per- 
form the journey of life ? 

& From him who is Almighty, and 
from him alone. 

B. Very true ; then bear in mind, 
that each one of your muscles when- 
ever it moves, has a little of his 
strength, and whenever it has not, it 
is paralyzed. I say his strength, for 
you must remember that those muscles 
which move you about, are his. So, 
as long as you have the faculty or 
power of choice, and will to go this 
way or that, or to perform one thing 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 185 

or another, it is also through his 
strength that you are enabled to do it, 
whether you do it for good or evih 
He has given no such strength or fa- 
culty to the brute. It can neither love 
nor hate him. And as you derive all 
your faculties from him, will he not 
as willingly give you strength to come 
to him for his blessing, as to depart 
from him to receive his curse ? 

S. It seems that it must be so. 

B. It is so. And yet multitudes 
foolishly and fatally shut out the bless- 
ings of heaven from their immortal 
souls through the unreasonable excuse 
that they cannot come to Christ in 
their own strength, and so use the 
strength which he has given them, in 
rejecting him. Men do not realize 
how hard they work to secure their 
own ruin. But those who prav to be 
16* 



186 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

excused from the salvation of their 
souls as it is offered in the gospel, 
ought to remember, that if they will 
not accept of Christ's offered grace, 
he will give them their chosen portion 
and with it, give them as much 
strength to endure his displeasure as 
he would have given them to enjoy 
that boon which they so blindly reject. 
Now, will you come to Christ with all 
your weakness, that you may receive 
strength ? With all your blindness? 
that you may be enlightened. With 
all your sins, that you may be forgiven, 
and with all your poverty, that you 
may be enriched ? 

$. I would if I could. 

B. Well, ifj^ou cannot come, then 
is your case perfectly hopeless. And 
how would you like to hear others an- 
nounce it? Suppose I should say 3 



THE SriRIT- WORLD. 187 

there is no possible way whereby you 
can be saved. That you cannot re- 
pent, that you cannot believe, that you 
cannot accept of an offered Saviour 
and that you may as well give up all 
hope, and sink down into despair. 

S. To believe this, would truly be 
an awful thought, and I hope that my 
case is not quite so bad. But what can 
I do? 

B. Repent, and believe on the Lord 
Jesus Christ. This you can do, and it 
is all that he requires, and then love 
and serve him with all your heart. 
Take his yoke upon you, for it is easy, 
and his burden for it is light. 

£. Oh ! that it was as easy for me to 
turn, as it was for my child ? But I 
feel that it is otherwise. It is hard for 
me to confess my guilt. My heart is 
so hard that it will not relent. The 



188 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

temptations of the world, and my be- 
setting sins, and my wicked compan- 
ions, are ready to swallow me up. 
And then, the darkness of my mind 
shuts out all the light, and almost ex- 
cludes every ray of hope. 

B. Then turn quickly, precious im- 
mortal, " for why will you die ?" Let 
me tell you why it is easy for children 
to enter in at the strait gate. They 
are willing to confide in Christ, and 
obey him. They understand simple 
requirements, and instead of mystify- 
ing them, as do those who wish to 
find some excuse for disobedience, they 
simply obey them ; and you can do 
the same thing, if you will. The act 
is precisely the same in all cases and 
ages. The only difference is, it is not 
quite so easy for you to become a lit- 
tle child. In other words, you are not 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 189 

so ready to take the simple truth just 
as you find it recorded, and obey it 
from the heart. 

8. Yes, it is something so, I believe. 
But still I go on from one day to an- 
other, hoping that it will be better 
with me the next, and the next, and 
yet I am growing harder and harder. 

B. Yes, and further and further from 
the kingdom. You may as well turn 
at once. You will never find it easier, 
and perhaps you may never find it 
possible, after letting one more oppor- 
tunity slip. The devil is ready to 
spring his trap upon you, and he cares 
not what kind of bait he uses, if he 
can but secure his prey. He is per- 
fectly satisfied to have you wait for a 
more convenient season, and wait for 
more feeling, and wait for anything, 
while standing on a slippery steep, 



190 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

with a woful gulf beneath your feet, 
which is dark enough, and deep enough 
to prevent your escape, if you fall ; and 
doleful enough to chill and wither 
every vestige of hope forever ! 

S. But do I stand on such a slippery 
steep ? 

B. Yes, awful as is the thought, 
there you stand, with the deluded, 
thoughtless, and presumptuous multi- 
tude, notwithstanding that fearful de- 
claration, " Their feet shall slide, in 
due time !" There you stand, as it 
were, over the very gulf of which you 
had a glimpse in your dream ; and lest 
you slip, ere you are aware, and sink to 
perdition, with those who would gladly 
tear out their tongues, and throw them 
back to earth, if they could, to apprise 
the wicked of their end, and beg for 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 191 

water to quench their ceaseless, burn- 
ing thirst, — turn, turn ! 

& What do you mean by throwing 
back their tongues to earth ? 

B. Ah ! they come not oft, but dread- 
ful are their tidings when they come ! 
" Father Abraham, send Lazarus that 
he may dip the tip of his finger in 
water, and cool my tongue, for I am 
tormented in this flame !" Being in- 
formed that that was impossible, as 
no one could cross the impassable gulf, 
the lost one requested that Lazarus 
might be sent back to earth, to warn 
his five brethren to beware how they 
followed him to that place of torment. 
But he was told that it would do no 
good, as one rising from the dead 
would have no saving influence over 
the living, who reject Moses and the 
Prophets. Now, have you made any 



192 THE SriRIT-WORLD. 

effort to escape such a doom as called 
forth the bitter cry to which I have 
just alluded ? 

S. I fear that I have not taken the 
first step towards it. It all appears 
dark and dismal to me, as the night of 
death. 

B. If not, then for the love, peace, 
and happiness of your own soul ; for 
the prosperity of others ; for the joy 
and satisfaction of angels, and for the 
honor and glory of your Redeemer, no 
longer delay. You know not what a 
day may bring forth. Think how 
many there are now in the dark prison 
of despair, who, just as much intended 
and expected to prepare to grapple* 
with the " King of Terrors," as you do, 
but they put it off one day too late. 
This may be your experience, before 
to-morrow morning. You do not think 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 193 

so, neither did they. They thought a 
little more procrastination could do no 
harm. They thought that a little more 
rebellion could not subject them to 
such fearful peril — a little more un- 
belief, and love of sin, and neglect of 
Christ were ventured upon, and they 
fell to rise no more, and their good re- 
solutions and intentions perished with 
them. 

S. I presume that I am in all the 
peril that you represent, but, somehow 
or other, I do not feel it, as I would 
wish to. 

B. I am aware that this excuse is a 
sufficient barrier to keep many precious 
souls out of the kingdom of heaven. 
Oh ! how many mistaken souls are 
this moment waiting for feeling, with- 
out suspecting the delusion. They 
fancy that they would attend to the 



194 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

salvation of their souls at once, if they 
had a little more feeling, while they 
consider not that if they had twice as 
much feeling as usual, they would 
stifle it, if they could. One moment's 
reflection ought to convince them that 
men exceedingly dislike to feel that 
they are in danger. 

S. But will a man ever escape from 
any danger without feeling ? 

B. No more than a stone, and hence 
the importance of cherishing, instead 
of resisting the strivings of the Holy 
Spirit. But you do not need feeling 
enough to crush you, to lead you to 
the " Ark of Safety," unless it is your 
own fault. Now if the physician 
should pronounce your case to be 
hopeless, you would probably feel the 
force of the declaration, "Dust thou 
art, and unto dust shalt thou return," 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 195 

more than if you enjoyed perfect 
health. But do you not at all times 
sufficiently feel it, to use daily care in 
preserving your life ? What stronger 
feeling do you need ? 

S. It is natural for men to cling to 
life, and therefore they will use means 
to preserve it. But in spiritual things 
it is different. 

B. Take another example. It is 
written, " The soul that sinneth, it 
shall die." Now, you believe this de- 
claration, as much as the other, and 
you can feel the importance of shun- 
ning a spiritual, as well as a natural 
death, if you will ; because you know 
that you have sinned and are conse- 
quently under condemnation. Now, 
friend, do not deceive yourself in sup- 
posing that you want more feel- 
ing, while you stay away from the 



196 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

Cross. There is the place to feel. 
Look to him who hung thereon, and 
live. 

S. I know that this is what I ought 
to do, and it is what I intend to do. 
My understanding is convinced, and I 
hope to feel the importance of it. 

B. You do feel it. No man is con- 
vinced of anything without feeling. 
How much feeling did the blind man 
need, to stimulate him to apply to the 
Great Physician for help? Just as 
much as you need, and no more. 
He felt that his case was a bad one, 
and I trust that you do not wish yours 
to become worse. He believed that 
Jesus of Nazareth could give him sight, 
and do you not equally believe that 
none else can open your spiritual eyes 
to behold the wonders of redeeming 
grace ? He had also sufficient confi- 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 197 

dence in the loving kindness of the 
Friend of sinners, to say, * Jesus, thou 
Son of David, have mercy on me." 
And where, at this enlightened age of 
the world, is your faith, that you have 
not got even the blind man's confi- 
dence ? 

He felt that in Christ was his only 
hope ; and do you not know and feel 
that your condition is no better. He 
was aware that the favor which he 
sought, was of vast importance to 
him ; and are you not sensible that 
you need a still greater blessing? 
Moreover, he was determined to test 
the power and goodness of an Al- 
mighty deliverer without delay; and 
will you not be as consistent, that you 
may be as successful ? 

S. If the Saviour was now present 
as he was in those days, it seems to 



198 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

me that I should at once apply to him 
for help. 

B. Then you prefer to walk by 
sight. This the blind man could not 
do. He had to take the testimony of 
others. And O how much stronger 
testimony have you. You cannot 
doubt that he is just as much present 
with all his love to pity and power to 
save, as he was when he said "Ac- 
cording to your faith be it unto you." 
And what more can you need. 

S. It does seem as if there was no- 
thing in the way but myself, and I 
hope that I shall not continue to stand 
in my own way. 



CHAPTER IX, 

Through the kind providence of our 
heavenly Father, we are permitted to 
meet once more on his footstool, Mr. 
S., to resume the consideration of that 
topic, which ought above all others to 
fill every man's mind with anxiety of 
deep and thrilling intensity, for its im- 
portance has no limits ; it is altogether 
as boundless as eternity. With such 
interests at stake, I trust that you are 
not waiting for feeling to move you to 
secure the " pearl of great price," as 
you were at our last interview. 

S. I saw then, sir, that it was per- 
fectly unreasonable and unsafe to wait 
for anything, and yet, here I am wait- 
ing still. 



200 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

B. Waiting for what? To see if 
the Lord of life and glory will not come 
and force you into his kingdom against 
your will ? You may wait for this, in 
vain. Haste then, precious immortal, 
haste to Christ, the sinner's friend. To 
wait for more feeling, is altogether un- 
safe. To wait for less, is presumption. 
Hark ! " Seek ye first the kingdom of 
God and his righteousness," is the ad- 
vice and the command of the Judge of 
quick and dead. No allowance is 
made for excuses or delay. No per- 
mission to seek anything else first, not 
even the security of natural life, which 
is far less important. Now, do you 
not sometimes fear that you will after 
all come short of eternal life while 
neglecting to seek first the kingdom ? 

S. Yes, I often have such fears. 
When I lie down at night, I say to my- 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 201 

self, Well, who can tell but that before 
the dawn of another day, I shall open 
my eyes in that dread world where 
there is neither morning nor evening, 
rest nor sleep, friend nor hope, joy nor 
peace — no pleasant sight or pleasant 
sound — no smiling face or cheering 
word, no sympathizing heart or helping 
hand — but woe unmitigated, woe un- 
utterable, woe eternal ! To have an 
existence in the spirit- world under such 
circumstances, what an end ! Who 
can endure the thought ? 

B. You need not endure the thought, 
unless you prefer to remain exposed 
to the reality. Unless you prefer to 
wait for feeling, until your experience 
shall overwhelm you, I hope you 
will count the, cost while the door 
of grace and hope is open. Your dan- 
ger is far greater than you suspect. 



202 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

Many have been almost ready, as they 
supposed, to enter the kingdom ; per- 
haps had fully resolved to do so, and 
possibly expected the all-important 
work to be done in less than one shore 
week, and would hardly have tolerat- 
ed the expression of a single doubt 
from any one concerning their safety, 
when some adverse influence carried 
them away, as with a flood, until their 
seriousness vanished, and their hopes 
too, as they finally landed in the great 
gulf to go no more out forever. I tell 
you that you have no time to lose. 
There is a shorter step between you 
and death, than you suspect. 

S. Yes, I know it must be short and 
uncertain at the best. I have had fair 
warning, and if I peris]?, it must be my 
own fault. But that makes the mat- 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 203 

ter so much the worse. I can imagine 
something how it will be with me in 
the dark world of woe. I shall wish 
that I could fasten the blame upon 
others. What indescribable horror 
will the thought that I have murdered 
my own soul, produce ! What unearthly 
agony to call to mind these interviews 
and other friendly warnings, — more 
especially the repeated invitations of 
the gospel — the voice of love and 
mercy which reached my ears from 
Calvary ; the proffered streaming blood 
of the atoning Lamb of God ; the nu- 
merous and aggravated attempts to 
stifle conscience, pervert the truth, 
quench the Spirit, avert conviction 
and secure my own destruction ! 

As soon as I shall have become con- 
scious of my existence in that dread 
abode should such be my woeful doom, 



204 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

I think I shall say, Well, here I am at 
last, notwithstanding all my warnings, 
convictions, fears, and resolutions, to 
endure, what so many vainly tried to 
describe. Oh ! horrible ! Have I come 
to this ! Oh ! what a state ! How 
awful ! I can find nothing here that 
has an end ! I wish I could die again ! 
Oh ! death, cut me down once more ! 
Rocks and mountains fall on me, 
crush, hide, and annihilate me! Ven- 
geance of heaven, fall on me and blot 
out my existence forever ! Alas ! I 
am lost, and how doleful is my condi- 
tion here, with all my undying faculties 
wonderfully quickened and capacitat- 
ed for suffering ! But it is all just, for 
I now see what I have done. 

B. Oh ! fellow-man, and prisoner of 
hope, it seems as if you already had a 
foretaste of the dread reality, and yet 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 205 

you are letting the golden moment for 
securing a passport to a brighter, bet- 
ter world, slip ; although you are tot- 
tering upon the crumbling verge of 
unutterable ruin. I charge you by all 
that is desirable in heaven, and woful 
in hell, to stop ! Stop, while you can : 
turn while you may ; flee while there 
is hope, profit by what you see, hear 
and feel, or your fears will be more 
than realized, and a great ransom can- 
not deliver you. 

S. Alas ! how dark and gloomy are 
my prospects, and how difficult does 
the work of preparation for the spirit- 
world appear. It is all midnight . 
How can I work in the dark ? I see 
no dawning of the day. O that I could 
see such a light as 1 saw on the mount, 
in my dream. 

B. Yes, it is both dark and difficult? 



206 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

and how can you expect it to be other- 
wise, so long as you will not come to 
the light, nor cease increasing the dif- 
ficulties. If you will come to Christ, 
you shall have light, and joy, and 
peace ; and the difficulties which ap- 
pear to you like mountains shall melt 
away into a pleasant plain. And why 
you delay one moment, I believe no 
mortal can give any good reason. If 
you had an earthly treasure in peril, 
if necessary to secure its safety, you 
would at once bring into requisition, 
time, energy, men, and money. 

Suppose that you had a very valu- 
able country-seat, upon which you 
had bestowed labor and money, until 
you had made it all that you could de- 
sire. Made it capable of affording an 
ample supply of earthly comforts for 
yourself and family. On this pleasant 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 207 

spot you intend to spend your days, 
and expect to be undisturbed, as you 
suppose the title to be perfectly good. 
But accidentally as it were, I happen 
to discover a flaw in that title, and 
perceive that your property is in the 
most imminent peril. That in passing 
from A. to B. at a remote period, the 
transfer of said premises was condi- 
tional. Certain obligations were to be 
discharged by the party of the second 
part, on or before the expiration of a 
given day and year, or the said pre- 
mises were to revert to the party of 
the first part, his heirs and assigns ; 
which has been wholly neglected up 
to the moment of my discovery, which 
happens to be on the last day of the 
appointed time for securing the title, 
with but an hour's sun above the 
western horizon. With this startling 



208 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

fact, I fly to you with the utmost speedy 
and the communication falls upon your 
ear like a thunderbolt. Under such 
circumstances what would you do ? 

S. Do everything in my power, of 
course, to discharge the claim. 

£. Would you delay ? 

/S. Not a moment. I should think 
of my family and of our comfortable 
sweet home, and should say, Alas ! if I 
tarry a moment we are undone ; and in 
order to be prepared for the emergen- 
cy, I should send some one up stairs 
and another down ; one this way, and 
another that ; and to all I should say 
run, run. 

B. Why would you act so prompt- 

S. Don't you see that the interests 
at stake would demand it ? Nothing 
less would answer. True the Clerk's 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 209 

office, where the obligation must be 
discharged, might not be a mile off, 
and the expense attending the act to 
be performed might be very trifling. 
But the result of a little delay would 
not prove so trifling. 

B. At this critical moment, suppose 
that an old friend, after performing a 
journey of a thousand miles to transact 
some important business with you, 
calls at your door, and declares that 
he must see you now or never. In this 
dilemma what would you do ?" 

>S. Just as soon stop to do business 
with a beggar. 

B. Why treat your friend so rudely ? 

£. Because I could not afford to 
treat myself and family worse. I 
could not consent to gratify even a 
friend, at such an expense, and I should 
cry, Let me go ! let me go now ! 



210 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

B. But suppose at that moment, a 
fearful thunder-storm should begin to 
pour a torrent upon the earth, and the 
streaming lightning dash a portion of 
your habitation to atoms, setting fire 
to the rest ; in the midst of the crash 
and the cries of " Stop, stop ! the house 
is all in a blaze," would you start ? 

S. Most surely I would, and I would 
only w r ait to reply, I cannot help it, 
your lives are all spared ; and as for 
the house, it must burn dow T n to ashes 
or others quench the flames. The 
ground on which it stands, cannot burn 
and I must secure my title to that, or 
lose all ; let me go ; let me go ! 

B. Yes, and you would act wisely, 
and neither friends nor foes, nor fire nor 
storms, nor floods nor fears, nor smiles 
nor frowns would stop you. Neither 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 211 

would you wait for feeling. But how 
much time have you now to secure a 
title to a home in the heavenly Ca 
naan ? Do you know that the * Book of 
Life" will be kept open for you a sin 
gle hour ? The obligation against you 
can be discharged now, and your title 
to eternal life made secure. An hour 
hence it may be too late ! 

S. I do indeed feel to some extent 
the importance of such a title, but 
what can I do ? 

B. All that is required of you, which 
is but a little. 

5. I cannot draw up the title deed. 

B. No. But you can subscribe to 
the terms, and the Holy Ghost can seal 
and witness it. 

& I can never pay the purchase 
money. 

B. No, but you can accept a con- 



212 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

veyance without money and without 
price. 

S. I cannot make a record of the 
transaction. 

B. No, but the recording angel can 
write it in the book of life. 

S. I can never take possession of 
such an inheritance without a guide. 

B. No, but those pure spirits, " who 
are sent forth to minister to those who 
shall be heirs of salvation," can con- 
duct you safely to that mansion which 
the Lord of glory has prepared for all 
who will accept of such a heavenly 
home. Now you perceive what you 
can do. It is not much ; but it is all- 
important. Nay, it is indispensable, 
Are these terms hard? 

/S. O no, they appear perfectly rea- 
sonable. 

JS. Then you will certainly accept of 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 213 

them at once, instead of saying, "I 
pray thee have me excused," unless 
you are unreasonable. Now, will you 
doit? 

S. I intend most assuredly to do so. 

B. When? 

S. By and bye. I hope that it will 
not be long. 

B. Well, now tell me honestly, 
whether you are not flattering your- 
self that you have really taken a good 
step, because you have good intentions 
for the future ? 

S. Perhaps I am. 

B. And have you ever thought that 
this was nothing but an insult to your 
Maker ? What would you think of a 
poor wretch by the wayside, pretend- 
ing, while thrusting a dagger into the 
bosom of his friend, stab after stab, 
that he had a good intention at heart — 



214 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

that by-and-by he intended to stop and 
make amends ? 

S. I should think him a hypocrite 
and a murderer. 

B. Then, lest you find that you have 
condemned yourself, remember that 
your good intentions for the future, 
are nothing less than a rejection of 
Christ for the present. And what 
worse act can you perpetrate ? Can 
you pull him down from his throne, 
and thrust the spear into his side, and 
drive the nails through his hands and 
his feet, and mock him, and spit upon 
him ? 

S. No, this I cannot, and would not 
do, for the world. 

B. But after suffering in your stead, 
bearing your sins in his own body on 
the tree, and after offering to wash 
you in his own blood, and clothe you 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 215 

with his own robe, and crown you with 
his own crown, you can reject him, 
Alas ! the deed you have already done, 
and with all your good intentions are 
doing still. 

S. I do not feel that I have any dis- 
position to reject the Saviour of the 
world. 

B. And yet you do not accept of him 
and his kind offers. Suppose that you 
know your neighbor to be in present 
and perishing need of some aid which 
you alone can render. In a dark and 
stormy night, with much inconvenience 
and some suffering, you make your 
way to his abode. Being in haste to 
be sheltered from the storm, you give 
a loud rap as soon as you reach his 
door. A servant from an upper win- 
dow cries out, " Who is there !" You 
give your name, and proclaim the ob- 



216 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

ject of your visit, feeling that that will 
be quite enough to secure all the at- 
tention that you need. After waiting 
till strength and patience are well 
nigh exhausted, the servant re-ap- 
pears and says, " The gentleman of 
the house does not wish to be disturb- 
ed ; but you can see him in the morn- 
ing, if you wish," what would you 
think of the treatment received for 
your pains ? 

S. I think that I should not soon 
trouble him again. 

B. Turn your attention to one who 
has come a long way and on a rough 
path, to visit you, bringing in his 
bleeding hands, the ransom price of 
your redemption, and listen to his gra- 
cious voice, "Behold I stand at the 
door and knock, if any man hear my 
voice and open the door, I will come 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 217 

in to him, and will sup with him and 
he with me." Shall this heavenly vis- 
itor knock at your door, and urge up- 
on your dying soul, the boon of ever- 
lasting life ; and knock and urge in 
vain? 

S. O no, heaven forbid. 

B. Then I charge you to count the 
cost of shutting him out of your heart, 
and never dare to plead future repen- 
tance as an excuse for present disobe- 
dience. It is saying that God, and 
Christ, and heaven are all worth less 
at present, than the pleasures of sin. 
A greater insult cannot well be offer- 
ed ; and is not this rejecting Christ ? 

S. Conscience tells me that it is not 
right, and I hope to do better. 

B. By what rule ? What ! are you 
going to love that to-morrow which 
you hate to-day? By what law? 
19 



218 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

& I can hardly answer this question. 
But I hope to have a heart to do that 
which I suppose that I have not yet 
done. 

B. What a delusion ! It is equiva- 
lent to saying, I wish to love that 
which I love to hate. 

5. Do you mean to say, that I love 
sin? 

B. The Bible says so, friend ; and 
if it does not speak the truth, you sure- 
ly will not cherish a single sin for a 
moment. But if you will not hate and 
repent of it now, you have not the 
slightest reason to hope for a profitable 
or even tolerable future. 

S. It may be sp, and I fear that it 
is. 

B. I know very well that you che- 
rish the hope that in some way or 
other you shall escape the terrible 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 219 

overthrow of the wicked, although 
every step you take in your impeni- 
tent state, is towards the bottomless 
gulf. All those who persevered in 
sin until they met the same doom of 
which I am warning you, cherished the 
same hopes. They went on hoping 
that they should have a hope, until 
their delusive spell ended in irretriev- 
able ruin, and you may do the same 
thing. And yet you will say, I hope 
not, while you do nothing to prevent 
the dread result. 



CHAPTER X. 

B. At our last interview, we were 
considering the inconsistencies of men. 
It is lamentable that in matters of the 
greatest moment, we are often the 
most inconsistent. Suppose I should 
meet you at midnight in a dark forest 
where you had wandered and search- 
ed in vain to find your way out, and 
with a lamp in my hand, should lead 
you to a plain path, give you suitable 
directions, urge your immediate es- 
cape, and hand you the light. 

Would you delay, and begin to find 
fault with the path, because it could 
not be followed without a light — and 
with the distance, because so many 
steps must be taken — and with the 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 221 

lamp, because its rays did not lumin- 
ate your path to the end ? Would you 
say, Well, I am lost, it is true, but you 
may be mistaken after all, in suppos- 
ing this to be the right path; or some 
part of it may be impassable ; or other 
paths may intersect it, which I may 
not be able to distinguish from the 
original ; or my lamp may go out be- 
fore I reach a place of safety ; or my 
strength may not be equal to the jour- 
ney ; and, worse than all, I may be de- 
voured by wild beasts, before I get 
half way through the forest ; and be* 
sides, I begin to hope that there is 
some easier way of escape 9 and so, all 
things considered, I think I had better 
remain where I am, until I may chance 
to meet some person to point it out ? 

S. Not at all. I should naturally 
■know that I could gain nothing by de- 
19* 



222 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

lay, and that I might as well perish 
by my efforts, as by my idleness. But 
this you know is natural consistency, 
or, perhaps, I may say that it is instinct. 
But in spiritual things it is not so. 

B. I admit it, and this is the very 
thing that constitutes your greatest 
danger. If it was as natural for you 
to be vigilant in securing the great 
interests of your immortal spirit, as it 
is to provide for the safety of your 
transient earthly tabernacle, it would 
not be necessary for me to urge you to 
take the strait and narrow path and 
flee for life. This is the very reason 
why you are now in darkness — why 
you have wandered so far out of the 
way ; and why you have no disposi- 
tion to return. Don't you see where 
your great danger lies — that your case 
is frightfully alarming because it is 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 223 

not natural for you to turn and save 
your soul alive ? In this dark wilder- 
ness where you are lost, I meet you, 
and point you to a new and living 
way, which is Christ, and offer you the 
glorious light of the gospel to shine 
upon your path, and urge you to es- 
cape for life, before the storms of com- 
ing wrath fall upon and utterly over- 
whelm you ; and yet without the 
slightest expectation of finding any 
easier or any other way of escape, 
you wander on in fearful peril, cling- 
ing to a delusive hope, crying, " Peace, 
peace." 

S. Oh ! no. I have very little peace, 
and fear that I shall have less still. 1 
know that I am a lost wanderer — that 
I am groping in darkness — my way 
seems hedged up, and I know not 
what to do. 



224 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

B. Fly, fly ! You do everything 
but the right thing. You go every 
way but the right way. You look for 
help to every source but the right 
source, and you try every foundation 
but the right one. Why halt so long 
between two opinions ? Why tarry so 
long in the plains of unbelief ? 

Suppose that two individuals, James 
and John, start on a journey together, 
in the wilderness, from the top of a 
high mountain, and selecting a stream 
to follow, they thread their way over 
beds of rocks, and through winding 
vallies, as the little sparkling rill leads 
them while on its way to the ocean. 

At first, they perceive little or no 
choice in the banks of the stream, 
which is continually increasing in size 
and force. But at length they suspect 
that they are on the wrong side, and 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 225 

begin to discuss the propriety of cross- 
ing over. As they journey on, the 
rocks become so high and steep that 
they cannot leave the stream, and their 
path becomes more and more difficult, 
and the river more and more swollen, 
almost overflowing its banks and quite 
alarming the travellers. 

"I am sorry," says James, " that we 
did not cross this stream, when it w r as 
but a little rill." " I think we had bet- 
ter go back to where it is easy cross- 
ed," says John. But as they look back, 
they discover at once, that to retrace 
their steps is utterly impossible. The 
current has become so powerful and so 
swollen that where they once walked 
with ease, they can now get no foot- 
hold, and hence there is no alternative 
but follow down the stream, and take 
one bank or the other, and as thev 



226 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

perceive that the one on the opposite 
side is comparatively smooth and free 
from obstructions, James says to his 
companions, * Let us try to cross over, 
for I fear that it will soon be neither 
possible to cross, nor possible to pro- 
ceed.'' 

" I fear that it is not safe to make 
the attempt," says John. 

" Safer than to proceed, I am confi- 
dent," says James, and casting all his 
burden aside, plunges into the foaming 
current, and safely reaches the shore ; 
and as soon as his feet are upon the 
bank, he lifts his hands towards hea- 
ven and says, " Thanks, everlasting 
thanks to the Great Deliverer, I am 
safe, and it is gloriously beautiful over 
here ! O how delightful ! You have 
hardly a glimpse of it on that side. 
You cannot see it, you cannot realize 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 227 

it, until you pass over, and the stream 
is not so difficult to cross after all, as 
you think, if you will only plunge in, 
with a determination to forever for- 
sake all on that dangerous shore." 

" The stream looks very boisterous, 
and I know that I cannot touch the 
bottom, and to swim, I shall have to 
forsake all that I have," says John. 

u No matter for that," says James. 
? There is no use for such things here. 
And besides, for them you can have 
treasures infinitely glorious. Come 
over, don't wait a moment, for I now 
see clearly that a little farther down 
the stream is perfectly and forever im- 
passable !" 

" Not yet," says John ; and whom 
does he represent ? 

S. I know not, unless it is myself. 



228 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

Is it possible that I am standing in such 
a perilous position ? 

B. Yes, in greater peril still. The 
great gulf which becomes impassable 
beyond the grave, seems to begin in 
this vale of tears, and consists mainly 
of unbelief. Every man sets out on 
his journey on the wrong side of it, 
and the farther he goes, the more dif- 
ficult is it for him to cross it. Little 
children find it less difficult to reach 
the shore on the right side than old 
men. Don't you remember how easy 
it was for your darling child to be- 
lieve ? 

S. Indeed, I shall never forget her 
remarks on the subject, and I believe 
that your illustration is a very proper 
one, and I am confident that my child 
is on the right side of the gulf, and as 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 229 

confident that her father is on the 
wrong side. 

£. Well, remember that you can't 
go back to that period of life, when 
your dear child crossed the expanding 
current, and that what you do, must 
be done quickly. The Saviour now 
beckons you over. Will you come ? 
If you ever intend to cross, come now ! 
You know not the blessedness which 
is ready for you, on this side. Come 
quickly you must, or never ! You say 
your way is hedged up. It is true, 
and the stream is swelling, swelling, 
every hour ! It grows deeper, and 
broader, and darker, and swifter every 
moment ! By no possibility could you 
cross even now, if the blessed Saviour 
did not stand on the bank to help you 
out of the deep waters. 

Now what will you do when he 
20 



230 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

turns away? Will you provoke him 
to withdraw his aid, and rush on down 
the fearful, slippery steep ? You know 
not what you do. Why will you die ? 
There was a time when I once thought 
that my poor soul must forever remain 
on the dark side of this dread line of 
demarcation. That was a day of 
darkness too horrible to be described. 
I regarded it as a complete foretaste of 
despair. It was well nigh despair it- 
self. But a brighter day dawned, and 
blessed be the name of the Most 
High for helping me out of the dark 
waters. 

& But I have never had such feel- 
ings as you describe. 

B. It is not necessary that you should 
have such feelings, although you may 
have worse. Think not that your case 
is less alarming. Be not deceived. 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 231 

You have as much to lose or gain as 
any living man ! You are as suscep- 
tible of weal or woe ! Your eternity 
of happiness or misery will be as long, 
and, without timely repentance, more 
terrible will be your overthrow than 
that of the rich man, whose awful 
cries came back to earth, because you 
have sinned against greater light. 

Desperate as was my condition in 
unbelief and sin ; tortured by a guilty 
conscience, and trying to reach hea- 
ven by my own works, while every 
step brought me nearer the bottomless 
pit ; yet who can tell how much 
greater still would have been my^ 
peril, if I had simply been unconcerned. 

A man's condition while there is 
hope, cannot well be worse, nor can 
he have greater cause for alarm, than 
to be too stupid or insensible to look 



232 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

at his imminent danger or make an 
effort to escape. Every man's case is 
so desperate if he has not already- 
passed from death unto life, that to 
wait to have it become more so, would 
seem to be greater presumption than 
the act which cast the rebel angels 
down to hell. For, if the Lord of life 
and glory had followed them down to 
their dark and dread abode, and there 
suffered for them in their stead, and 
then invited them to return to their 
former blissful state, and had received 
nothing in return but scorn and neg- 
lect, every man would have said that 
their last act was worse than their 
first, though every unregenerate man 
in so saying, would condemn himself. 

S. But I do not feel that I scorn the 
Saviour's offers, or treat him with neg- 
lect. I never take his name in vain, 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 233 

nor intentionally break his command- 
ments, although in many things I come 
short of doing my duty. 

B. Well,, admitting that you have 
not used his name in vain, have you 
used it in prayer and praise for the 
last month ? Have you heartily called 
upon him in prayer, beseeching him 
to sanctify you wholly, soul and body, 
that you might be filled with the gift 
of the Holy Ghost, and have grace to 
make you humble, and faith to make 
you useful ? And have you sincerely 
rendered to him a tribute of thanks- 
giving and praise for his amazing 
goodness and mercy to you day by 
day? 

S. I fear that I have not, in this re- 
spect ; conscience does indeed accuse 
me of neglecting him, but I never 
considered it in this light. 
20* 



234 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

B. Well, now, you can hardly say 
that this is your only fault. But sup- 
pose that you could — that nothing 
whatever was charged against you, 
but a little neglect of Christ, let us 
look at this offence, and see if it is 
a trifle. 

Suppose that in the circle of your 
acquaintance, a female of great re- 
spectability and moral worth, becomes 
gradually and seriously indisposed, 
without any apparent cause whatever. 
Her mind becomes depressed to an 
alarming extent, so that she hardly 
notices the babe on her bosom. Her 
material frame bears the marks of 
some unknown, but destructive agen- 
cy. Her tottering steps and trembling 
hands evince great prostration. Her 
sunken and tearful eyes, and her care- 
ful and studied concealment of any 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 235 

knowledge of the cause of her wretch- 
ed condition, fill her friends with pain- 
ful suspense. Many flock around to 
sympathize with her suffering, and 
strive in vain to ascertain the cause of 
so sad a change. A physician is 
called, but to little purpose, for as he 
has no skill to discover the cause 
of the mischief or misery, he has of 
course no specific for the malady. 

In due time suspicion rests upon her 
husband. Her friends at length ap- 
proach him, saying, Sir, what have you 
done and what are you doing to send 
your worthy companion to an untime- 
ly grave ? He replies, " Why, noth- 
ing at all. I have not laid a straw in 
her way. I never spoke an unkind 
word to her in my life. Indeed I have 
not spoken to her at all in six months" 
What would you say of such conduct ? 



236 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

S. I would say, that he ought to go 
to — 

B. Stop, stop! I suspect that if 
Nathan, the prophet, were here, he 
would say, " Thou art the man" What 
is a neglected mortal to a neglected 
Redeemer ? What can one sinful worm 
of the dust do for another, to compare 
with what that neglected Saviour has 
done for you ? Is it a little sin, think 
you — a trifling affair that he will never 
notice, for you to withhold from him the 
affections of your heart, and day after 
day, and year after year, refuse to 
thank him for his dying love, and speak 
not a word to him in prayer or praise ? 

S. no, I do not consider such a sin 
of omission a trifling offence. I know 
that I am verily guilty, and deserve to 
be banished from his presence. I be- 
gin to see that I am truly " dead in 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 237 

trespasses and sins." But this does not 
give me spiritual life. 

B. Neither does it drive away the 
disease to know that we are sick, but 
it puts us in a proper condition to ap- 
ply for a remedy. Although there is 
no virtue in having a deep and hum- 
bling sense of the plague of our heart, 
yet without it, we shall not be likely 
to seek for sanctifying grace. To see 
that we are poor, lost sinners, is the very 
thing to open our eyes to see the great- 
ness of that mercy which provided for 
us such a glorious Redeemer as the 
Lord Jesus Christ. It is the only thing 
that will ever bring us to the foot of 
the Cross. And if you feel that you 
are dead in trespasses and sins, why 
do you not haste to the Saviour of the 
world who can revive you by his 



238 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

quickening Spirit, and breathe into 
you the breath of spiritual life? 

S. I know not, unless it is because I 
am too dead to move. My wicked 
heart holds me back. I have sinnea 
against heaven and earth, conscience, 
truth, and conviction. I have sinned 
against light and knowledge, and have 
forfeited life, hope, and heaven ! 

How can I therefore have confidence 
to apply to him whom I have so long 
neglected ? I need his help, I know, 
but I think that I have little reason to 
expect it. He has again and again 
knocked at my door, and I have as 
often grieved him away. He has 
plead with me by night and by day, 
beseeching me to accept of unmerited 
grace, and unutterable glory, and I 
have prayed to be excused. I have 
said, Go thy way for this time, and 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 239 

why should he now hear me, if I 
should call upon him? 

B. Why should you now do a worse 
deed than ever before ? Now you see, 
to some extent, the guilt and the dan- 
ger of rejecting the Lord of life and 
glory; and if, with your eyes open, 
you continue to withhold from him 
your heart, and cling to your sins and 
excuses, what more can you possibly 
do to make your own destruction 
sure ? To save the vilest of the vile, 
the blessed Redeemer came from hea- 
ven to earth, and suffered in their 
stead, and now, do you not believe that 
he is just as able and as willing to 
save the chief of sinners, as to save 
those who hardly feel or acknowledge 
that they have any guilt to be washed 
away, or any need of his special in- 
terposition ? 



240 THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 

S. O yes, I believe it, and I suppose 
that this is what he meant when he 
said, " I came not to call the righteous 
but sinners to repentance." It is un- 
doubtedly true that his grace is suffi- 
cient for any poor sinner who feels 
his need of atoning blood, and casts 
himself unreservedly upon the mercy 
of God in Christ Jesus. But he re- 
quires time to reflect upon it, before 
he is prepared to forsake the world 
and his sins, and lay hold upon eternal 
life, I suppose you will admit. 

B. Time to what ? To rebel 1 Will 
it be easier to repent, after a few more 
sins are committed ? Will it increase 
the Saviour's love, pity, and compas- 
sion ; and make the way to the cross 
more easy and accessible, to say to 
him by our acts, we have not, at pre- 
sent, confidence enough in thy decla- 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 241 

rations, to believe that thou art now 
ready to do all that thou hast promis- 
ed, and we will therefore wait and 
see if we shall not have more faith to- 
morrow ? 

How much time did Peter need to 
get ready to cry out, " Lord save," 
w T hen he saw that he was sinking ? 
How much time did the blind man 
need to cast away his garment and 
lift up his imploring cry for Divine 
help ? How much time did the dying 
thief need, on the cross, to decide in 
his mind to make that interesting and 
saving request, " Lord, remember me 
when thou comest into thy kingdom ?" 
And how long did it take Jesus to say, 
"To-day shalt thou be with me in 
Paradise ?" O what encouragement 
have we for coming to Christ at once. 



242 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

S. Well, I am ashamed of my lack 
of confidence in his promises. 

B. The whole world has reason to 
blush and be ashamed, in this respect. 
If the Saviour had said to him who 
hung by his side and craved his re- 
membering mercy, I would notice your 
request, if you were not such a poor, 
guilty thief — if he had said to Mary 
Magdalene, I would have compassion 
on you, if you had not so many devils 
—in short, if our glorious and all-com- 
passionate Redeemer had ever turned 
away a single suppliant, how vastly 
less encouraging would have been our 
hopes and prospects to-day. O, bless- 
ed Jesus, we will not withhold our 
hearts from thee. Lord, remember us 
in thy kingdom. Now, beloved friend 
and fellow-traveler to the spirit-world, 
with such glorious offers and blessed 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 243 

assurances, can you longer refuse to 
become a friend and follower of him 
who has wondrous gifts to bestow up- 
on his children in the heavenly Ca- 
naan ? 

&. If nothing more than the under- 
standing was concerned, I could more 
than say, as Agrippa said to Paul, 
" Almost thou persuadest me to be a 
Christian." I am not only almost, but 
altogether convinced that I ought to 
become a Christian at once. But con- 
viction is one thing, and conversion is 
quite another thing. 

B. Yes, and " except ye be convert- 
ed and become as little children," said 
Christ, "ye shall not enter into the 
kingdom of heaven." Hence all your 
conviction will be worse than vain, 
unless you become reconciled to God. 
" Ye must be born again." " Ask, and 



244 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

ye shall receive, seek, and ye shall 
find, knock, and it shall be opened un- 
to you." Now do you believe these 
simple declarations ? 

/S. Yes, I do. But we must ask in 
faith. 

J5. Well, who would have you ask 
in unbelief ? If you believe that Jesus 
Christ is all that he claims to be, and 
means all that he says, one would 
suppose that it must be very dif- 
ficult for you to ask, or seek, or 
knock, in unbelief. How can you do 
otherwise than come to such a friend 
with a confiding spirit? If you had 
done a thousandth part as much for a 
fellow-mortal, as he does for you every 
day, and still he doubted your sinceri- 
ty, and exhibited a determination not 
to confide in you, would you not con- 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 245 

sider it unfair, and take it as an in- 
sult? 

S. Indeed, I believe that I should, 
and of how much greater insult am I 
guilty. O that I had a heart to trust 
wholly in Christ. He is worthy of all 
confidence, and could never have done 
so much for man, without being will- 
ing to do still more. 

B. He is willing to do still more, 
and is now waiting to give you a more 
blessed assurance of it than you have 
ever received. Shall I tell you how 
to obtain it with ease, and certainty, 
and to your entire satisfaction ? 

S. If you please, it is just what I 
want to know. 

B. Well, if I point out the way, will 
you walk in it ? 

S. I will surely try to, for it must 

be but reasonable. 
21* 



246 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

B. There is no unreasonable re- 
quirement in the gospel. But let me 
first show you the path. Perhaps you 
may recollect of noticing in some of 
the religious papers, a dozen or more 
years ago, an interesting account of 
an Indian's conversion. The circum- 
stances, as near as I can recollect, 
were the following : 

A certain missionary, while labor- 
ing among that interesting branch of 
the human family, in some of our 
western forests, held up before the 
red man's mind, the duty of renouncing 
or giving up the world for the sake of 
a better inheritance in the spirit-land. 
The Indians, it is well known, have 
been from time immemorial, believers 
in the spirit-world. One of the sons 
of the forest was much affected as he 
listened to the discourse. After re- 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD/ 247 

turning to his cabin, he was determined 
to obey the preacher, and begin the 
work of self denial or sacrifice. 

He accordingly took his hatchet and 
went out and surrendered it, by lay- 
ing it down at the roots of a tree. 
He then prayed, * Now, O Lord, have 
mercy upon poor Indian," and return- 
ed to his cabin ; but instead of finding 
relief or peace, his distress of mind in- 
creased. 

Not satisfied with the surrender, or 
that he had done his duty, he repaired 
to the same spot, and laid down his 
blanket, saying, "Now, Lord, have 
mercy on poor Indian," but still his 
load of guilt was not removed. 

As conscience told him that he had 
not yet done his duty, that he had not 
sacrificed enough for Christ, he went 
out again, bowed down with a sense 



248 * THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

of sin, and a desire to be free, and gave 
up his rzjfe, which he could not well 
spare, but which he was determined to 
surrender though he starved. He then 
repeated his former prayer, but obtain- 
ed no answer. With a sad heart, and 
slow pace, he walked back and forth, 
greatly depressed and feeling that he 
had nothing more of any value to give. 

At length it occurred to him that he 
could give one thing more, and he 
went and cast himself down and said, 
" Now, Lord, have mercy on poor In- 
dian, I give away myself" Now, I 
need not tell you that this was 
the turning point — that the Red- 
man's load of guilt was taken away — • 
that he could make the forest ring 
w r ith his praises to the Great Spirit 

Now what say you to this ? Is it 
not a very simple and reasonable act 1 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 249 

Could you ask for easier terms ? Can 
you give, or do anything less, and 
prosper in this, or the spirit world? 

S. I cannot deny that the Red-man 
was wiser than I. His act, prompted 
by a sincere heart, was doubtless the 
sum and substance of all his duty. It 
was reasonable, and I feel that it 
would be very treasonable for me to 
refuse, or neglect to do the same thing. 

B. Be wise then while you are con- 
vinced of the propriety and importance 
of such an act, wait not a moment, for 
this may be your last call ; haste 
while you may and throw yourself 
down at the foot of the cross and say, 
" Here, Lord, I give myself away, 'tis 
all that I can do." 

S. It does seem to me that I would 
do it in a moment, if the Saviour stood 
where you do. 



250 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

B. You can do it easier now ; for 
what you prefer is a corporeal act, 
and in that case you would be 
obliged to bring into requisition both 
the mind and the body, for you can 
see at a glance, that were you to 
present your body before him in any 
position whatever, if he were present 
in the flesh, while destitute of any 
sincere desire of soul to honor and 
glorify him, it would be an abomina- 
tion in his sight, an insult demanding 
the judgments of heaven. Hence, con- 
secration to him always has and al- 
ways will depend upon the state of 
the heart; and it is therefore just as 
easy, probably easier, for you to love 
holiness and hate sin, than it was for 
the Jews when Christ beheld Jerusa- 
lem and wept over it. 

The act of giving yourself away to 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 251 

Christ to be his willing and obedient 
servant forever, is purely an act of the 
mind and heart, and it is as easily 
performed now, as it would be if the 
Lord of life and glory should come 
down and stand before you with all 
the splendors of the upper world. 
Now there is but one important ques- 
tion for you to settle, which is, will 
you open your heart and receive by 
faith the Lamb of God, which taketh 
away the sin of the world, or will you 
suffer this golden moment to pass, 
while you " treasure up w r rath against 
the day of wrath, and revelation of the 
righteous judgments of God." 

S. Oh ! no, I cannot think of letting 
this precious opportunity for securing 
an interest in the blissful world, where 
saints immortal reign, pass unimprov- 
ed, for I think T have no reason to ex- 



252 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

pect a more favorable season, if an- 
other. 

B. It is altogether unknown and 
uncertain whether the present hour 
does not turn the scale. " My Spirit 
shall not always strive with man." 
" Ephraim is joined to his idols, let 
Trim alone !" Oh, how would you cry 
out for mercy, if you saw your danger 
as I once saw mine ! 

& Well, now it does seem to me 
that I shall see my way more clear if 
you will favor me with a brief his- 
tory of your conversion. 

B. The best way for you to see 
your duty and yourself, is to come at 
once to Christ, the fountain of light 
and life, and not stop a moment to 
look at creatures. Although I know 
not that my religious experience can 
throw the least light upon your path 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 253 

of duty, yet I would gladly gratify you 
and give you " line upon line and pre- 
cept upon precept ;" but you must bear 
in mind that the experience of every 
individual is somewhat different from 
others in certain points. 



CHAPTER XI. 



B. From my earliest recollection, 
religion was a subject of acknow- 
ledged importance. A dear mother 
early taught me its precepts, and con- 
science responded to its claims. Yet, 
with a professed regard for revealed 
truth, I remained " dead in trespasses 
and sins" — a perfect stranger to the 
spirit of the gospel, and as great a 
stranger to my own real character. 

My first serious impressions oc- 
cured when I was about thirteen years 
of age, during a revival of religion 
in my native town. I then had such 
feelings as I had never experienced 
before, but knew not why. To some 
extent I saw my danger, but I knew 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 255 

not how to escape. I felt anxious, 
but I knew not what to do. I saw 
something of the plague of my heart, 
but I saw not the remedy. I knew 
that T was in darkness, but made no 
suitable effort to obtain a ray of light. 
I heard converts talk, and pray, and 
sing ; and saw their friends rejoicing 
over the redeemed, and heard the song 
of thanksgiving as it went up to hea- 
ven from many enraptured tongues ; 
but still everything seemed to be cloth- 
ed with a deep, dark, mysterious as- 
pect, and of the nature of that spiritual 
change in which the new born soul 
rejoiced, I remained profoundly ignor- 
ant, for " the natural man cannot dis- 
cern the things of the Spirit, because 
they are spiritually discerned." 

S. The same, I suppose, is my con- 
dition now, and how can I therefore 



256 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

discern spiritual things any better than 
you did ? 

B. The same need not be your con- 
dition, and will not be for a moment, 
if you will come to the light. What 
would you think of a man's walking 
in darkness and in peril, and stumbling 
as he walked, and complaining of his 
lot and the difficulty of finding his way, 
while refusing a good light, and put- 
ting out such as w r ere given him ? Or 
what would you think of him, if after 
the day should dawn and the sun 
arise to pour a flood of light upon his 
path in spite of him, if to show to the 
world his determination to walk in 
darkness he should shut his eyes, and 
then say, If I could only see as well as 
those who have their eyes open, I 
should do differently, and feel differ- 
ently. 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 257 

But my condition at that early age 
was somewhat different from yours at 
the present time. You have had line 
upon line, warning upon warning and 
promise upon promise. You have 
had your duty clearly pointed out, and 
you know just what you must do to 
be saved. But although, from my 
earliest childhood, I had heard the law 
and the gospel proclaimed, yet I knew 
little about the new birth, or the way 
to derive any special benefit from the 
gospel, and it so happened that at the 
time which I have adverted to, when 
many were born into the kingdom, 
and my own mind was stirred up, not 
a word that I can recollect, was ad- 
dressed to me personally, in relation to 
the condition of my soul. This I have 
always regretted ; for I do believe that 
a very few words at that time, would 
22* 



258 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

have led me to the cross. I mention 
this, because it shows the importance 
of being " instant in season and out of 
season" in pointing the precious soul 
to the spirit-world. 

S. I agree with you perfectly, and 
it reminds me of a similar season and 
experience, and I believe that if I had 
met you then, and heard from you all 
that I have heard now, I should have 
been ten years rejoicing in the king- 
dom of grace. But I did not intend to 
interrupt you. 

B. An incident occured at that sea- 
son which made a deep impression up- 
on my mind. At mid-day, while pass- 
ing my neighbor's barn, which was 
situated near the road side, I heard 
the voice of prayer, while the doors 
were all shut and stillness prevailed 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 259 

without. It arrested my attention — 
I halted, listened, and marvelled. 

I well knew the person thus engaged 
in supplication, who had but a short 
time before been perhaps as thought- 
less as myself. But I saw the change, 
and said to myself, what is it ? As he 
poured out before the Lord Almighty, 
the desire of his soul, in simple, hearty, 
agonizing prayer in behalf of a perish- 
ing world, I felt convinced that he had 
received something which the world 
could neither give nor take away. I 
often felt constrained to stop after that, 
to ascertain whether I could hear the 
same voice of prayer. 

Yet, strange as it may seem, 1 am 
not aware that I made a single effort 
to obtain that spiritual change of 
which I heard others talk, and which 
I fancied that I desired more than any- 



260 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

thi«g else. The good Spirit evident- 
ly came to my door and knocked, but 
I did not heed his voice, nor accept 
his gracious offer. 

Though hardly aware of it, I soon 
began to think less and less, and feel 
less on the great subject of the soul's 
salvation, until my accustomed insen- 
sibility returned, and with a heart 
harder than before, I waxed worse 
and worse. Now, I had more reason 
than ever before to tremble. But I 
knew it not. Few realize the danger 
of outliving their convictions. For the 
succeeding six years, I hardly had a 
serious thought, but loved, and served, 
and worshipped the world as I had 
qpportunity. 

During my nineteenth year, after a 
short residence among strangers in 
a pleasant town, my neglected Lord 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 261 

touched me, and laid me low with 
typhus fever, and then and there I 
made the first solemn vow that I can 
recollect. The days were tedious, the 
nights were long, my bed was hot, my 
room was dismal, my mind was dark. 
But my solemn vow was heard. The 
Most High rebuked the disease 
vouchsafed his recovering mercy, and 
speedily sent me home to my friends, 
while my promise was as quickly 
broken. But that unredeemed pledge 
long haunted me by day and by night. 

The following year, I took up my 
abode in Western New York, where 
for a little time I remained in much 
unconcern respecting my future des- 
tiny. But subsequently my mind be- 
came much disturbed by dreams. 

S. Then it seems, sir, that 1 am not 
the only dreamer in the world. I 



262 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

should like to know if your dreams 
were anything like mine. 

B. It is of very little consequence 
now, what they were. I only mention 
the fact to show the state of my mind. 
They were, however, strikingly simi- 
lar to the one you have related. I pro- 
fessed no faith in visions of the night, 
and yet my dreams at night made me 
unhappy through the succeeding day. 

Although I felt inclined to fear that 
these dreams were a warning voice, 
still I loved the world more than its 
Maker, and served the creature better 
than the Creator, while morally cer- 
tain of eternal death if I went down into 
the grave unchanged. Such was my 
unwillingness to receive salvation on 
the terms of the gospel — such was the 
influence of sin and Satan, and such 
my presumption, that although warn- 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 263 

ed by day and night of my danger, I 
continued unreconciled to God and ex- 
posed to his provoked displeasure. 

It may well seem strange how a ra- 
tional being can see all that I saw, 
and feel all that I felt, and believed 
all that I believed, and yet dare to 
procrastinate. 

S. It does not seem so strange to me, 
for it is very much my own history. 
But I have a very great interest to 
know how you broke up the procras- 
tinating habit. I am in hopes that 
your experience will be of some ser- 
vice to me, yet. 

B. There was a time when spirit- 
ual things rarely occupied my mind, 
and it is not so strange that I then 
made no effort to secure my own safe- 
ty. But that I should have suffered 
myself to remain in conscious peril, 



264 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

and not put forth an effort to secure 
my eternal all, seems truly marvelous. 

But let it be remembered that dur- 
ing all this hazardous procrastination, 
I seriously intended to repent ! Ah ! 
yes, and my good resolutions gave me 
strength and courage to rebel more 
and more. Without this good inten- 
tion for the future, a single day's ex- 
perience would have been intolerable. 
Hence, pledges for the future, are 
spiritual narcotics, which keep the 
conscience quiet, calm the fears, stifle 
convictions, and ease the soul along 
down that delusive stream, which im- 
perceptibly terminates in the great 
gulf of ruin. 

During the summer of 1826, an in- 
ducement to take up my abode in Ro- 
chester, led me to that city, and on my 
way to the town, I felt unusually seri- 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 265 

ous, and yet I knew not why. I recol- 
lect distinctly of trying to account for 
my uncomfortable state of mind. I 
thought it strange that my spirits 
should be so depressed at that particu- 
lar time, while the day was fair, the 
journey pleasant, the company agree- 
able, and my decision to go to the 
city, perfectly satisfactory. Things 
visible and invisible seemed to remind 
me of death and the spirit-world, and 
earth, air, and sky ; men, beasts, and 
birds ; nature, animate and inanimate, 
seemed to be enveloped in some strange 
and unaccountable shade of darkness 
and solemnity. 

The mystery depended upon my 
ignorance of the fact, that the natural 
man never ascribes his seriousness to 
the agency of the Holy Spirit, and if 
he is informed that he is the subject 
23 



266 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

of such an influence, he is generally 
unwilling to believe or acknowledge 
it. It cannot be denied that men na- 
turally have such an aversion to holi- 
ness, that if they are solemnly declared 
to be under the special influence of the 
good Spirit, they will frequently resent 
it more, than to be accused of fellow- 
ship with the devil and his angels. 

After entering upon my duties in 
the city, I found that the impressions 
which had disturbed me on my jour- 
ney, still remained upon my mind, and 
I now resolved to cherish them. 

S. That was a good resolution, was 
it not ? 

B. If it had not been made, I verily 
believe that the everlasting destruction 
of my unhappy spirit would have been 
secured. O yes, that was a blessed 
decision, and I hope you will so far 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 267 

at least, imitate my example. But 
you know that I have already said, 
that while men are making their want 
of feeling an excuse for procrastina- 
tion, the great danger and probability 
is, that the more they feel, the more 
they will try to stifle their convictions. 

I now resolved to examine more 
carefully than ever, my future pros- 
pects, but kept all my feelings and re- 
solutions to myself. I soon began to 
see clearly that I was a guilty, con- 
demned wretch — knew that I deserved 
to perish — everything earthly dwin- 
dled into utter insignificance — my way 
seemed hedged up, and my path over- 
hung with clouds of interminable 
darkness both day and night. 

I now began to try to pray, though 
the act seemed little else than solemn 
mockery, and indeed was nothing else, 



268 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

because I still withheld my heart. Of 
course such prayers were unanswered. 
The Bible had long been a neglected 
book, but as I had read it through 
three or four times when a child, many 
texts came to mind with power un- 
known before. 

In returning to my lodging room on 
a certain occasion, I found that some 
person, either by intention or accident, 
and which it was I never knew, had 
left an old and nearly worn-out copy 
of the sacred volume lying upon the 
window. This message from heaven 
I gladly seized, and daily examined as 
I had opportunity. But the more I 
read, the more terrible did my guilt 
appear, and the more certain my de- 
struction. 

Soon after this investigation was 
commenced, my agony of mind be- 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 269 

came almost insufferable, and was 
perhaps as perfect a foretaste of dread 
despair as any redeemed mortal ever 
realized. 

I now began to think of my long 
forgotten and unredeemed pledge, 
which I made on a sick bed in another 
city, to which I have already alluded. 
That promise I well knew, was not 
made to man ; and 1 knew equally 
well that it had been wickedly broken. 

At length I came to the conclusion 
that I had " lied to the Holy Ghost," 
and thus committed the unpardonable 
sin, and that I was left to see that 
which I could not escape. To attempt 
to describe the state of my mind at 
this doleful moment, would be perfect 
folly, and hence I will only say that 
it was unutterable, and yet I could not 

23* 



270 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

endure the thought of remaining in a 
passive state. 

Here I resolved to take one step — 
a step so reasonable and important 
that I hope you will at once test its 
value, even before I proceed to say 
another word. 

S. I hope that I may be induced to 
do so, if it is important that I should. 
But what was it ? 

B. I said to myself, " Now, let what 
will happen, with my consent, neither 
shall business, or pleasure^ or sleep, or 
rest, or anything else whatsoever, divert 
my attention until the important ques- 
tion is settled. It is with me now or 
never, and shall be with me, Christ 
or nothing. And so I suspended all 
worldly pursuits and gave myself up 
to prayer and meditation ; and that 
nothing might steal away my thoughts, 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 271 

my desire was to be shut out from the 
busy world as much as possible, and 
accordingly I selected two very appro- 
priate places for retirement. One was 
my bed-room ; the other was a closet 
of great antiquity, " whose builder and 
maker is God." 

Probably you are aware that a 
beautiful river called the Genesee, 
passes through the central part of the 
city, and that within the town is a 
perpendicular fall of ninety-six feet, 
where the celebrated " Sam Patch" 
and one or two others took their last 
leap ! 

The banks on either side of the 
stream below the falls for a consider- 
able distance, are equal to the falls in 
height, and nearly or quite perpendi- 
cular, with here and there a place 
where one can wind his way down to 



272 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

the bed of the river. This was my 
favorite place of resort, because I could 
here in a great measure be shut out 
from the world, where no voice dis- 
turbed me, but the voice of the Al- 
mighty speaking through the cataract. 

Between the water's edge, and the 
lofty rocky banks, a smooth sandy 
beach invited my roving feet, and there 
I walked, and mourned, and wept, and 
prayed, and like the poor Indian, found 
no answer of peace, because I resign- 
ed only a few worthless straws. 

While wandering up and down the 
river, searching for something I knew 
not what, and mourning over my fate* 
and almost despairing of hope ; the 
dashing, foaming torrent, rushing over 
the flinty precipice, and thundering 
down to the bottom of a boiling pot., 
reminded me the live-long day of the 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 273 

roaring billows and burning waves of 
the great abyss, to which I feared that 
I was fast hastening. 

S. When you saw your danger so 
clearly, and felt it so forcibly, and 
knew that through the mercy of God 
in Christ was the only possible chance 
for you to escape, why did you not 
throw yourself upon that mercy, and 
end the controversy ? 

B. For the very reason that you do 
not do the same thing now. I was 
waiting to make myself better, while 
making myself worse — waiting for 
more feeling, as though there was 
some virtue in that, and waiting for I 
knew not what. Thousands are do- 
ing the same thing now, to their awful 
peril. I knew very well that I stood 
in jeopardy every moment. But, oh ! 
I was so blinded by sin, that I did not 



274 THE SriRlT-WORLD. 

discern the simplicity of the Saviour's 
gracious offer. I did almost every- 
thing but the right thing. It was hard 
for me to learn the lesson which the 
benighted Indian so soon acquired with 
a ray or two of light, with a word or 
two of advice. Often did I cry out 
aloud, " too late ! Why did I put it off 
so long? I am lost !" 

Thus did a guilty conscience accuse 
and condemn me. The heavens over 
my head seemed like brass. The 
earth was dark and dismal, and all 
therein except immortal mind, seemed 
as worthless as a bubble. Out of the 
midst of that darkness which no tongue 
can describe, did I cry long and loud 
for help, and yet left the all-important 
thing undone. 

Three days of awful anguish were 
mostly spent at this place. 



THE SPIRIT- WORLD. 275 

On the afternoon of a pleasant Sab- 
bath towards evening, during the first 
month of autumn, I went into my cham- 
ber feeling that the struggle was all in 
vain, and resolved to cast - myself 
wholly and unreservedly upon the ten- 
der mercy of an Almighty Redeemer, 
to be disposed of according to his own 
righteous will, let my fate be what it 
might ; knowing that without his 
gracious interposition, hopeless and 
endless dispair were inevitable. 

As I turned my thoughts towards 
Calvary, and once more took up the 
blessed old Bible, to see what a voice 
from heaven might say to a poor 
wretch undone, at an unexpected mo- 
ment, and in an unexpected -way, the 
all-cheering rays of the Son of Right- 
eousness beamed into my darkened, 
trembling soul, filling my astonished 



276 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

and disappointed heart, with light and 
love, and peace, and joy unspeakable 
and fall of glory. 

Now, my eyes were opened, and I 
was ready to exclaim, how could I 
have been so long in taking such a rea- 
sonable step. O how much I have lost 
by my inexcusable delay. And how 
did I reject the blessed Redeemer even 
in my very prayers. Alas ! that I did 
not sooner realize, that, to make myself 
better, was perfectly impossible. To 
wait to make myself worse was down- 
right folly, madness and presumption ! 

Thus the good Spirit led me, as 1 
hope and trust, to the Rock of Ages, 
and permitted me to hide myself behind 
the cross, and caused me to confide in 
him who is the " chiefest among ten 
thousand and the one altogether love- 
ly," while he took from my weary soul 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 277 

that dreadful burden of guilt and de- 
livered me from the bondage of sin. 

But strange as it may seem, yet such 
is the natural tendency to legality, that 
I soon fo und myself sighing for my for- 
mer distress, fearing that I had not yet 
had conviction enough, when 1 had had 
tenfold more than I should have need- 
ed, if it had not been my own fault. 
And if I had had my agony multiplied 
a thousand fold and continued without 
end, I should have been as far from 
meriting the least favor, as if I had 
been as senseless as a block. 

But when I tried to pray, I praised. 
When I tried to weep, I rejoiced, and 
when I tried to be sad, I shouted for 
.joy. Then I said to myself, what is 
this? And I ran out of the house, and 
literally obeyed the desire of my heart, 
shouting and singing as I ran through 
24 



t 
278 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

the streets. I recollect distinctly that 
the thought came into my mind, that 
those who saw me thus giving action 
to my feelings, would very likely take 
me for a lunatic, although I had just 
come to myself, though I hardly knew 
it. 

Thus, according to your request, I 
have given a brief though imperfect 
history of my conversion. Now do 
you think, that I began to seek the 
salvation of my soul too soon, or per- 
severed too long ? 

S. No, I do not. 

B. Do you think that I devoted my 
time too exclusively to the work for 
my own safety ? 

8. No. 

jB. Do you suppose that I was too 
much in earnest ? 

8. No. 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 279 

B. That I ultimately had too much 
joy? 

S. No. 

B. Do you think that in your case 
a change is less needful than it was 
in mine ? 

S. Far from it. 

B. Can you with safety be less in 
earnest, or less prompt in striving to 
enter in at the strait gate ? 

S. Certainly not. 

B. Then go and do thou likewise, 
and thou shalt know what it is to 
pass from death unto life, and to be 
filled with the love of Christ. Wait 
not for feeling — wait not for a more 
convenient season — wait not to secure 
a title to earthly possessions — wait not 
for sick-bed Repentance — wait for no- 
thing, lest the Spirit let you wait and 
remain unsaved forever. 



280 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

S. No, I must not, I cannot, I ivill 
not delay ; I have waited too long al- 
ready, and I wonder that I am here. 
What a mercy ! Oh what a wretch ! 
But I fear that I do not feel as you 
did. 

B. Feel as I did ! It is not necessary. 
Feel as 1 did ! I would not wish any 
one to feel as I did for three dark? 
dreadful days; unless such an one 
should be so wedded to self and sin, 
that nothing less could break the spell. 
Why do you look at me ? If I am 
getting between you and Christ, let me 
go, let me fly, let me hide myself in the 
dust in a moment. I had no excuse 
for staying away from the fountain of 
light to mourn in darkness for a single 
hour; neither have you. 'Give your- 
self away to the blessed Saviour at 
once, 'tis all that you can do. No- 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 281 

thing more is expected — nothing less 
will be accepted. No matter how 
guilty you are, if you will turn from 
your sins to Christ. He turns none 
away, who do not turn away from 
him. If you shut him out of your 
heart, he will shut you out of his 
kingdom. If you give him your af- 
fections, he will give you a seat at his 
right hand. If you deny him before 
men, he will deny you before angels. 
If you will at once forsake all for 
Christ, no good thing will he withhold 
from you forever. What say you to 
making friends with the friend of sin- 
ners ? He comes to poor mortals with 
both hands full of blessings for needy 
souls. Will you say, Come, Lord Jesus, 
and take up thine abode in my heart, 
and give me the victory over sin, Sa- 
tan, and the world ? 
24* 



282 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

S. The Lord helping me, I will. 
To remain longer a wanderer in the 
wilderness, after having the path 
which leads to the heavenly Canaan 
so clearly pointed out, would greatly 
augment my guilt, if not secure my 
everlasting destruction. Oh, pray for 
my poor trembling, guilty soul ; I am in 
dark waters. Do you think that light 
will ever break upon me ? Oh, upon 
what a horrible tempest am I tossed. 
The Lord have mercy on my soul ! 

B. Don't you remember the light 
that you saw shining out of heaven up- 
on the top of the mountain ? 

S. O yes, a glorious light ; I wish 
that I could see it again. 

B. There is light in heaven still 
and it shines all around you now. 
Don't you remember that fair One who 



THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 283 

came forth and beckoned the rejecting 
skeptic to his embrace ? 

S. Yes, I do, and O that he would 
beckon me to come to him now. 

B. He does beckon you to follow 
him now, and he has long waited to 
see if you will accept of his invitation. 
O cast away every weight, and throw 
aside your garments which are all de- 
filed with sin, and make haste to take 
shelter under the shadow of his wings, 
for a great and terrible storm is ap- 
proaching — make haste ! 

S. Yes, yes, blessed Saviour, I will 
come to thee, and give thee everlasting 
thanks for such an offer. O thou 
glorious, compassionate, beneficent, 
all-worthy Lamb of God I come to 
thee. Poor, and miserable, and blind, 
and naked, and sinful as I am, I cast 
myself upon thee. 



284 THE SPIRIT-WORLD. 

Now, fellow-traveler, I hope that I 
may never cease to give thanks to him 
who permitted you to meet me with a 
warning voice in this perilsome world^ 
for through the influence of these in- 
terviews, and his sanctifying Spirit, in 
joy and peace with all the redeemed I 
hope to meet you in the Spirit- World. 



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